place. The “established way” is a customary pattern whereby He acts in a later case as He did in its earlier counterpart. For this reason, He, glorified and exalted, commands us to draw lessons by comparison, saying:

“Indeed, in their stories there is a lesson for people of understanding.”

Drawing such a lesson means comparing something with its like and recognizing that the same judgment applies to both. As Ibn ʿAbbās said: “Why did you not compare the fingers to the teeth?” Thus, when He says:

“So take heed, O people of insight,”

and:

“Indeed, in their stories there is a lesson for people of understanding,”

this conveys that whoever acts as they did will receive the same recompense. This is so that one may beware of acting like the disbelievers and aspire to act like the believers who followed the prophets. The Most High says:

“There have been precedents before you, so travel through the land and see what was the end of those who denied the truth.”

The Most High also says:

“They almost drove you from the land to expel you from it; and then they would have remained after you only a little while.”

“Such was Our established way with the messengers We sent before you, and you will find no change in Our established way.”

The Most High also says:

“If the hypocrites, those in whose hearts is disease, and those who spread alarming rumours in Medina do not desist, We will surely give you power over them; then they will remain your neighbours there only a little while.”

“Accursed, they will be seized wherever they are found and utterly slain.”

“Such was Allah’s established way with those who passed away before, and you will find no change in Allah’s established way.”

Allah revealed this verse before the Battle of the Confederates, the ascendancy of Islam, and the humiliation of the hypocrites. Thereafter, they could no longer openly display what they had displayed previously—before and after Badr, and before and after Uhud. So they concealed their hypocrisy and kept it hidden; for this reason, he did not