Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (1/415)

He went on to state that He has preserved the ships as a sign of the Lord’s power and of what befell Noah and his people. Then He declared:

“So how terrible were My punishment and My warnings for those who denied!”

Likewise, He cited the stories of ‘Ād, Thamūd, Lot, and others, and after each narrative He says:

“So how terrible were My punishment and My warnings!”

These warnings—nuthur (the notices the messengers conveyed on His behalf)—show how He punished those who had been forewarned.

A warning (indhār) is simply to inform people of something that should be feared. By this the truthfulness of what the messengers reported is made clear, as is the severity of His chastisement for whoever rejects His messengers.

He also mentioned the case of Pharaoh, saying:

“Indeed warnings came to Pharaoh’s people; yet they rejected all Our signs, so We seized them with the seizing of the All-Mighty, the All-Powerful. Are your disbelievers any better than theirs, or do you have immunity written in the scriptures? Or do they say, ‘We are a united host sure to prevail’? The host will be routed and will turn their backs in flight.” ⦗Q 54:41-45⦘

And in the account of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—with his people, He mentioned several similar examples, saying:

فَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُ أَبْقَى السُّفُنَ آيَةً عَلَى قُدْرَةِ الرَّبِّ وَعَلَى مَا جَرَى لِنُوحٍ مَعَ قَوْمِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي لِمَنْ كَذَّبَ وَنُذُرِي؟ وَكَذَلِكَ ذَكَرَ قِصَّةَ عَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَلُوطٍ وَغَيْرِهِمْ، يَقُولُ فِي عَقِبِ كُلِّ قِصَّةٍ: فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ؟ وَنُذُرُهُ وَإِنْذَارُهُ وَهُوَ مَا بَلَّغَتْهُ عَنْهُ الرُّسُلُ مِنَ الْإِنْذَارِ، وَكَيْفَ كَانَتْ عُقُوبَتُهُ لِلْمُنْذَرِينَ. وَالْإِنْذَارُ: هُوَ الْإِعْلَامُ بِالْمَخُوفِ، فَتَبَيَّنَ بِذَلِكَ صِدْقُ مَا أَخْبَرَتْ بِهِ الرُّسُلُ مِنَ الْإِنْذَارِ وَشِدَّةِ عَذَابِهِ لِمَنْ كَذَّبَ رُسُلَهُ، وَذَكَرَ قِصَّةَ فِرْعَوْنَ فَقَالَ: {وَلَقَدْ جَاءَ آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ النُّذُرُ - كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا كُلِّهَا فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍ مُقْتَدِرٍ - أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أُولَئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُمْ بَرَاءَةٌ فِي الزُّبُرِ - أَمْ يَقُولُونَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌ مُنْتَصِرٌ - سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ} [القمر: ٤١ - ٤٥] . وَذَكَرَ فِي قِصَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَعَ النَّاسِ أَنْوَاعًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: