And if you were to see, his answer is omitted, meaning: you would see a great matter and a tremendous state. And 'if' and 'when' and the verbs 'they were frightened' and 'they were taken' and 'they were prevented' are all for the past. What is meant by them is the future, because what Allah will do in the future is like what has already occurred and existed due to its certainty. The time of fright is the time of resurrection and the Day of Judgment. It was said: the time of death. It was also said: the Day of Badr. And from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, it was reported: it was revealed regarding the sinking of the wilderness, when eighty thousand will invade the Kaaba to destroy it. When they enter the wilderness, they will be swallowed up, and there is no escape; they cannot escape Allah nor precede Him. It has also been recited: 'there is no escape.' The taking from a nearby place refers to the standing place to the Fire when they are resurrected. Or from the surface of the earth to its depths when they die. Or from the plain of Badr to the pit. Or from beneath their feet when they are swallowed up. If you say: what is the reason for the conjunction of his saying 'and they were taken'? I say: there are two aspects: the conjunction is on 'they were frightened,' meaning: they were frightened and taken, so there is no escape for them. Or it is on 'there is no escape,' meaning: when they were frightened, they did not escape and were taken. And it has been recited: 'and taken,' which is connected to the position of 'there is no escape.' Its meaning is: there is no escape there, and there is taking.