[2979] Moses (عليه السلام) thus reminded them of that Day of God (cf. Abū Ḥayyān, al-Saʿdī).
[2980] This is a timely reminder of God Almighty’s declaration that gratitude for His favours will cause them to increase but ingratitude will cause an adverse effect, so that people may heed (cf. al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar).
[2981] Gratefulness or ingratitude are only of use or detriment to the person in question, but God Almighty is ever Free of Need from any of these (cf. al-Rāzī, al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar).
[2982] After the example of Moses (عليه السلام) whose Message was similar to that of Prophet Muhammad’s (ﷺ), here are further examples of earlier nations which are drawn to warn against being ungrateful to God Almighty (cf. al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar): “Just like the ones before them: “They were mightier in strength than you are and greater in wealth and children. They enjoyed their ˹worldly˺ portion and you enjoyed your portion as much as the ones before you enjoyed their portion, and you indulged as much as they indulged; these their deeds were nullified in this worldly life and in the Hereafter—these are ˹the real˺ losers. *Had not the news of those who came before them reached them: the people of Nūḥ, ˹the tribes of ˺ ʿĀd and Thamūd, the people of Ibrāhīm, the companions of Midian and the overturned; their Messengers came to them with clear evidences! Allah would not have wronged them but they were bent on wronging themselves” (9: 69-70).
[2983] “A great many generations We have destroyed after Nūḥ; sufficient is your Lord as All-Knowing, All-Seeing of the sins of His servants!” (17: 17)
[2984] This is an almost literal translation of the Qur’anic expression: fa-raddū ‘aydiyahum fī afwāhihim. The motion being depicted here could mean that: they pushed back their hands into their mouths to bite them out of rage at the Message being scathing of their so-called gods and critical of their reasoning (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Naḥḥās, al-Qurṭubī, al-Tafsīr al-Muyassar); or they covered their mouths with their hands to conceal their jeering laughs at the Message (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr); or to motion to them to say no more by putting their index fingers over their mouths, or they put their hands over the mouths of their Messengers (عليهم السلام) to silence them (cf. Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Shinqīṭī, Aḍwā’ al-Bayān). The motion is symbolic of the extent of the Deniers’ opposition to the Message.
[2985] That is, for the duration of their lives and God Almighty will not hasten their punishment before then (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr): “And that you should seek your Lord’s forgiveness and thereafter repent to Him; ˹may˺ He make you enjoy pleasurably until a stated term and grant every good doer ˹the reward of ˺ his good doing” (11: 3).
[2986] By sulṭānin mubīn (evident authority) they meant a miracle or damning proof of their Truthfulness (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr). al-Saʿdī sees that what they demanded is ‘proof’ of their own suggesting, as it has already been said, that their Messengers came to them with ‘clear evidences’!