Qatadah said: A woman would go out carrying her spindle, with her basket upon her head. She would work with her spindle and would not return home until her basket was full of fruit. The entire region between Yemen and Syria was like this. (1)

“Travel through them”: that is, We said to them, “Travel through them.” It was also said that this is a command intended as a statement of fact: that is, We enabled them to travel through them, and so they travelled through them. “By night and by day”: that is, during the nights and days—whenever you wished. “In safety”: fearing neither an enemy, nor hunger, nor thirst. Yet they became ungrateful and insolent, and were not content with their ease. They said, “If our gardens were farther apart than they are, we would be more inclined to desire them.”

“And they said, ‘Our Lord, make the distances between our journeys longer,’ and they wronged themselves. So We made them cautionary tales and scattered them utterly. Surely in that are signs for everyone steadfast and grateful. (19) And Iblis certainly proved true his expectation of them, so they followed him, except for a party of the believers. (20)”

“And they said, ‘Our Lord, make the distances between our journeys longer’”: that is, place deserts and wastelands between us and Syria, so that we may ride our mounts through them and carry provisions for the journey. Thus Allah hastened to answer their request. Mujahid said: They showed ingratitude for the blessing and grew weary of ease.

Ibn Kathir and Abu ‘Amr read it as “make far,” with the consonant doubled, from the verb meaning “to make distant.” The other reciters read it as “make far,” with a long vowel. Both readings express supplication and request. Ya‘qub read, “Our Lord has made far,” with “Our Lord” in the nominative and the verb in the past tense, as a statement of fact—as though, out of ingratitude and insolence, they regarded their nearby journeys as too far.

“And they wronged themselves” through ingratitude and rebellion. “So We made them cautionary tales”: a lesson for those after them, who would speak of their affair and condition. “And We scattered them utterly”: We dispersed them throughout every region of the land in the most complete manner. Al-Sha‘bi said: When their towns were flooded, they scattered throughout the lands. Ghassan went to Syria; the Azd went to Oman; Khuza‘ah went to Tihamah; the clan of Khuzaimah went to Iraq; and the Aws and Khazraj went to Yathrib. The one among them who came to Medina was ‘Amr ibn ‘Amir, the forefather of the Aws and Khazraj.

“Surely in that are signs”: lessons and proofs, “for everyone steadfast”—in refraining from disobedience to Allah—“and grateful”—for His blessings. Muqatil said: This means 88/b the believer of this Ummah: patient in the face of affliction and grateful for blessings. Mutarrif said: He is the believer who, when given, gives thanks, and when tried, remains patient.

His saying, exalted is He: “And Iblis certainly proved true his expectation of them.” The reciters of Kufa read it in the intensive form, meaning that he formed an expectation about them when he said, “By Your might, I will surely lead them all astray,” and, “You will find most of them ungrateful.”