Commentary
The 'kaf' is in the state of رفع: meaning the habit of these people is like the habit of the people of Pharaoh. Their habit is their custom and the work they persistently engaged in: meaning they continued in it and were consistent. And 'they disbelieved' is an explanation of the habit of the people of Pharaoh. And that is a reference to what befell them, meaning that punishment or retribution because it was not appropriate for Allah, glorified and exalted is He, in His wisdom to change His blessing upon a people until they change what is in their state. If you say: What was the change of the people of Pharaoh and the polytheists of Mecca until Allah changed His blessing upon them? And they did not have a pleasing state to change it to a state of displeasure. I say: Just as a pleasing state can change to a state of displeasure, a state of displeasure can change to something worse than it. And those people were, before the sending of the Messenger to them, disbelievers who worshipped idols. So when he was sent to them with clear signs, they denied him and opposed him and conspired against him, seeking to spill his blood. They changed their state to worse than it was, so Allah changed what He had bestowed upon them of respite and hastened them with punishment. And indeed, Allah is All-Hearing of what the deniers of the messengers say, All-Knowing of what they do. 'Like the habit of the people of Pharaoh' is a repetition for emphasis. And in His saying 'with the signs of their Lord' there is an additional indication of ingratitude for blessings and denial of the truth. And in mentioning the drowning, there is a clarification of the punishment for sins, and all of them were wrongdoers. And all of the drowned Egyptians and the killed Quraysh were wronging themselves with disbelief and sins.
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