Al-Istidraj: It is a form of 'istif'al' from 'darajah' meaning to ascend or to descend step by step. The poet Al-A'sha said: 'If you were in a pit eighty cubits deep... and you climbed the ways of the sky with a ladder, to draw out the saying until it becomes clear... and you know that I am not silent about you.' [Refer to the explanation of this evidence in the first part, page 395, if you wish, the corrector said.] From it: 'Daraja' the boy when he approaches between his steps. And 'adrija' the book: it was folded little by little. And 'daraja' the people: some of them died one after another. The meaning of 'We will gradually lead them' is that we will bring them closer little by little to what destroys them and increases their punishment from where they do not know what is intended for them. This is because Allah continues to bestow His blessings upon them while they are engrossed in error. So every time a blessing is renewed upon them, they become more arrogant and renew their disobedience. They gradually fall into sins due to the continuous blessings, thinking that the continuity of blessings is a favor from Allah and a closeness, while it is actually a forsaking from Him and a distancing. This is the leading astray of Allah, glorified and exalted is He, and we seek refuge in Allah from it. 'And I give them respite' is a continuation of 'We will gradually lead them' and it falls under the ruling of the 'seen'. 'Indeed, My plan is firm' He called it a plan because it resembles plotting, in that it appears to be kindness while in reality it is forsaking. They said about him, the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, that he was possessed, and they used to say he is a mad poet. And from Qatadah, that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, ascended Safa and called them one by one warning them of Allah's punishment. Then one of them said: 'Indeed, your companion is mad, he has been shouting until morning.' [This was narrated by Al-Tabari with a sound chain to Qatadah, who mentioned it.] Then Allah revealed: 'Do they not reflect upon what their companion possesses of madness?' And do they not look with a discerning gaze into the dominion of the heavens and the earth regarding what they indicate of the greatness of the kingdom? And the dominion is the great kingdom and what Allah has created of anything, and in what Allah has created that falls under the name of a thing, from kinds that cannot be counted nor encompassed by description. 'And that perhaps' is a softened form of the heavy, and the origin is: 'And that it may be,' assuming that the pronoun refers to the matter. The meaning is: Or did they not consider that the matter and the discussion may have drawn near to their appointed time, and perhaps they will die soon, so they should hasten to look and seek the truth that will save them before the suddenness of the appointed time and the arrival of punishment. It is also possible that what is meant by the nearness of the appointed time is the nearness of the Hour, and it would be from 'kan' which contains the pronoun of the matter. If you say: What does the saying 'So by which statement after it will they believe?' relate to? I say: It relates to the saying 'Perhaps their appointed time has drawn near,' as if it were said: Perhaps their time has approached, so why do they not hasten to believe in the Qur'an before it is too late, and what are they waiting for after the truth has become clear, and by which statement more rightful than this do they want to believe?