And the people of Midian too. Moses was also accused of lies. So I allowed the infidels respite and then seized them. How was My reprobation then!
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Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : ((and) the dwellers in midian) the people of shu'ayb denied shu'ayb. (and moses was denied) the copts denied him; (but i indulged the disbelievers a long while) but i gave a reprieve to the disbelievers in their state of disbelief until the appointed time, (then i seized them) with chastisement, (and how (terrible) was my abhorrence!) see, o muhammad, how i changed towards them through my punishment.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : and the inhabitants of midian, the people of shu‘ayb, and moses was also denied: he was denied by the [native] egyptians (al-qibt), and not by his people, the children of israel. in other words, [all of] those [people] denied their messengers, so take them [these messengers] as a good example [of constancy]. and i granted the disbelievers respite, i postponed [dealing with] them by deferring their requital, then i seized them, with chastisement, and how [terrible] was my abhorrence! (nakīr), that is to say, my rebuke (inkār) of them for their denial, by my destroying them (the interrogative is meant as an affirmative, in other words,: it [my chastisement] was well-placed).
