﴿94, 95﴾ “We never sent a prophet to any town without afflicting its people with hardship and adversity so that they might humble themselves. Then We replaced adversity with prosperity until they flourished and said, ‘Hardship and ease also touched our forefathers.’ Then We seized them suddenly, while they were unaware.”

Allah Most High says: “We never sent a prophet to any town” to call its people to worship Allah and forbid them from the evil they practiced without, when they failed to submit to him, Allah testing them “with hardship and adversity”—that is, with poverty, illness, and all manner of trials—“so that they might,” when these befell them, be humbled in spirit, implore Allah, and yield to the truth.

“Then,” when this did not benefit them and they persisted in arrogance and increased in transgression, “We replaced adversity with prosperity.” He lavished provisions upon them, restored health to their bodies, and removed their affliction “until they flourished”—that is, they grew numerous, their provisions multiplied, and they enjoyed abundance through Allah’s grace and bounty. They forgot the affliction that had previously befallen them.

“And they said, ‘Hardship and ease also touched our forefathers.’” That is, this is merely a customary pattern that has always existed among earlier and later peoples: at times ⦗298⦘ they enjoy ease and at other times hardship, sometimes joy and sometimes sorrow, according to the vicissitudes of time and the changing fortunes of days. They thought that these things were not intended as admonition and reminder, nor as a means of drawing them gradually toward punishment and retribution. Then, once they exulted and rejoiced in what they had been given, and worldly life had become dearer to them than ever, We seized them with punishment “suddenly, while they were unaware.” That is, the thought of destruction never crossed their minds. They imagined that they had full control over what Allah had granted them and that they would neither lose it nor be removed from it.