“Thus the last remnant of the wrongdoing people was cut off. And all praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds. (45) Say, ‘Have you considered: if Allah were to take away your hearing and sight and seal your hearts, what god other than Allah could restore them to you? See how We set forth the signs in diverse ways, yet they still turn away.’ (46)”

“When they forgot what they had been reminded of,” that is, they abandoned what they had been admonished and commanded to do, “We opened for them the gates of every good thing.” Abu Ja‘far recited fattahna with the consonant doubled throughout the Quran. Ibn ‘Amir likewise recited it this way when it was followed by a plural noun, while the rest recited it without doubling. This opening was a form of gradual enticement and divine stratagem: that is, We replaced affliction and hardship with ease and health.

“Until, when they rejoiced in what they had been given”—this was the rejoicing of insolence, like Korah’s rejoicing in the worldly gain he had attained—“We seized them suddenly,” at the very moment when they felt most secure and when this world was most pleasing to them; “and they were left in despair,” having despaired of every good. Abu ‘Ubaydah said: