How can they have the reminder? How will they remember and take heed, and fulfill what they promised of faith when the punishment is revealed? And what has come to them is greater and more compelling in the necessity of remembering than the unveiling of the smoke. This is what appeared to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, from the clear signs from the miraculous Book and other miracles. Yet they did not remember and turned away from him, and they accused him of being taught by 'Addas, a foreign boy from some of Thaqif, and they attributed madness to him. Then He said: 'Indeed, We will lift the punishment for a little while; indeed, you will return.' This means that as soon as We lift the punishment from you, you will return to your polytheism and will not delay after the lifting in what you are upon of supplication and entreaty. If you say: How does the saying of those who made the smoke come before the Day of Resurrection reconcile with the statement 'Indeed, We will lift the punishment for a little while'? I say: When the sky brings forth the smoke, those punished by it from the disbelievers and hypocrites will cry out and say: 'Our Lord, lift the punishment from us; indeed, we are believers and repentant.' Then Allah will lift it from them after forty days. So while it is being lifted from them, they will revert and not delay. Then He said: 'On the Day We will seize with the greatest seizing,' meaning the Day of Resurrection, as His saying: 'When the Great Catastrophe comes.' 'Indeed, We will take vengeance,' meaning We will take vengeance on them on that day. If you say: By what does 'the Day We will seize' stand? I say: By what is indicated by 'Indeed, We will take vengeance,' which is 'We will take vengeance.' It is not correct for it to stand by 'We will take vengeance,' because 'Inna' prevents that. And it has been read: 'We will seize,' with the 'ta' pronounced. Al-Hasan read: 'We will seize' with the 'nun' pronounced, as if he is carrying the angels to seize them with the greatest seizing, or making the greatest seizing to seize them. It is said that 'the greatest seizing' refers to the Day of Badr.