“Whenever prosperity came to them”—that is, abundant crops and plentiful provision—“they said, ‘This is ours,’” meaning: We deserve it. Thus they did not thank Allah for it. “But if adversity befell them”—that is, drought and barrenness—“they took Moses and those with him as an evil omen.” They would say that it had befallen them only because Moses had come and the Children of Israel had followed him.

Allah, Exalted is He, said, “Surely their fate rests only with Allah”—by His decree and power, not as they claimed. Rather, their sins and disbelief were the cause of it. “But most of them do not know,” and that is why they said what they said.

“They said,” making it clear to Moses that they would persist and never abandon their falsehood, “Whatever sign you bring us to bewitch us with, we shall never believe you.” That is, they had settled in their minds that he was a sorcerer; hence, whatever sign he brought, they would conclusively declare it to be sorcery. They would neither believe him nor accept his word. This is the utmost obstinacy: the disbelievers reach a point at which every circumstance is the same to them, whether the signs descend upon them or not.

“So We sent upon them the flood”—that is, such abundant water that it inundated their trees and crops and caused them tremendous harm—“and the locusts,” which consumed their fruits, crops, and vegetation; “and the lice.” It has been said that these were young locusts, but the apparent meaning is the familiar lice. “And the frogs,” which filled their vessels, disturbed them, and caused them severe harm; “and the blood.” This may refer to nosebleeds; or, as many commentators have said, their drinking water turned to blood, so that they could drink nothing but blood and cook with nothing but blood.

These were “distinct signs”—proofs and clear evidence that they were lying wrongdoers and that what Moses had brought was true and genuine. Yet “they acted arrogantly” when they saw the signs, for they “had already been a people of criminals.” Allah, Exalted is He, therefore punished them by leaving them in their transgression and error.

“When the torment fell upon them,” it may mean the plague, as many commentators have said. It may also refer to the aforementioned signs—the flood, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood—for all of these were torment and punishment. Whenever one of them afflicted the people, “they said, ‘Moses, call upon your Lord for us by virtue of what He has entrusted to you.’” That is, they sought Moses as an intercessor, appealing through the revelation and law that Allah had entrusted to him. “If you remove the torment from us, we shall surely believe you and shall certainly send the Children of Israel with you.” Yet they were lying. Their only intent was to have the punishment that had befallen them removed, for they imagined that once it was lifted, no other punishment would afflict them.

“But when We removed the torment from them until a term that they were bound to reach”—that is, until the end of the period for which Allah had decreed that they would remain—the removal was not permanent, but temporary. “At once they broke their pledge”: the pledge they had made to Moses and their promise that they would believe him and send the Children of Israel with him. They neither believed him nor sent the Children of Israel with him. Rather, they persisted in their disbelief, wandering blindly, and continued relentlessly to torment the Children of Israel.

“So We exacted retribution from them.” When the appointed time for their destruction arrived, Allah commanded Moses to take the Children of Israel away by night and informed him that Pharaoh and his forces would pursue them. “Pharaoh sent men throughout the cities to muster the people,” gathering them to pursue the Children of Israel. They told them:

“‘These are but a small band,
and they have truly enraged us,
but we are all on our guard.’

So We drove them out of gardens and springs,
and treasures and splendid residences.
Thus it was, and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit them.
They pursued them at sunrise.
When the two hosts came into sight of one another, Moses’ companions said, ‘We are sure to be overtaken!’
He said, ‘Never! My Lord is certainly with me; He will guide me.’
Then We revealed to Moses, ‘Strike the sea with your staff.’ It split apart, and each part was like a towering mountain.
We brought the others near to that place,
and We saved Moses and all those with him.
Then We drowned the others.”

Here He says, “So We drowned them in the sea because they denied Our signs and were heedless of them”—that is, because they denied Allah’s signs and turned away from the truth to which they pointed.

“We caused the people who had been oppressed” in the land—that is, the Children of Israel, who had been servants of the household of ⦗302⦘ Pharaoh and whom they had subjected to terrible torment—to inherit “the eastern and western reaches of the land which We had blessed.” The land meant here is Egypt, where they had been oppressed and humiliated. In other words, Allah gave them mastery over all of it and established them therein. “And your Lord’s gracious promise to the Children of Israel was fulfilled because of their patience,” when Moses had said to them, “Seek Allah’s help and be patient. Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah. He gives it as an inheritance to whomever He wills among His servants, and the final outcome belongs to the God-fearing.”

“And We destroyed all that Pharaoh and his people had made”—their immense structures and ornamented dwellings—“and all that they used to erect.” “Those are their houses, lying in ruins because of their wrongdoing. Surely in that is a sign for people who know.”