Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah As-Saffaat -> The Promise of Victory and the Command to turn away from Idolators

Allah says,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط³ظژط¨ظژظ‚ظژطھظ’ ظƒظژظ„ظگظ…ظژطھظڈظ†ظژط§ ظ„ظگط¹ظگط¨ظژط§ط¯ظگظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط±ظ’ط³ظژظ„ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our servants, the Messengers,) meaning, it has already been stated in the first decree that the Messengers and their followers will ultimately prevail in this world and the Hereafter. This is like the Ayah:

﴿ظƒظژطھظژط¨ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ط§ظ‘ط؛ظ’ظ„ظگط¨ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ط£ظژظ†ظژط§ظ’ ظˆظژط±ظڈط³ظڈظ„ظگظ‰ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظ‚ظژظˆظگظ‰ظ‘ظŒ ط¹ظژط²ظگظٹط²ظŒ ﴾

(Allah has decreed: "Verily, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the victorious.'' Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty.) (58:21), and

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ†ظژظ†طµظڈط±ظڈ ط±ظڈط³ظڈظ„ظژظ†ظژط§ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظٹظژظˆط©ظگ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظڈظ†ظ’ظٹظژط§ ظˆظژظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظژ ظٹظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط´ظ’ظ‡ظژظ€ط¯ظڈ ﴾

(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth.) (40:51).

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط³ظژط¨ظژظ‚ظژطھظ’ ظƒظژظ„ظگظ…ظژطھظڈظ†ظژط§ ظ„ظگط¹ظگط¨ظژط§ط¯ظگظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط±ظ’ط³ظژظ„ظگظٹظ†ظژ - ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژظ†طµظڈظˆط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our servants, the Messengers, that they verily would be made triumphant,) meaning, `in this world and in the Hereafter, as We have already stated that they would prevail over their people who disbelieved in them and went against them, and how Allah destroyed the disbelievers and saved His believing servants. '

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط¬ظڈظ†ط¯ظژظ†ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط؛ظژظ€ظ„ظگط¨ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(And that Our hosts they verily would be the victors.) means, that they would ultimately prevail.

﴿ظپظژطھظژظˆظژظ„ظ‘ظژ ط¹ظژظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط­ظژطھظ‘ظژظ‰ ط­ظگظٹظ†ظچ ﴾

(So turn away from them for a while,) means, `bear their annoyance with patience and wait until an appointed time, when We shall cause you to prevail and will grant you victory.'

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژط¨ظ’طµظگط±ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظژط³ظژظˆظ’ظپظژ ظٹظڈط¨ظ’طµظگط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(And watch them and they shall see!) means, `watch them and see what will happen to them by way of punishment for their opposition towards you and their disbelief in you.' Allah said, as a threat and a warning,

﴿ظپظژط³ظژظˆظ’ظپظژ ظٹظڈط¨ظ’طµظگط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(and they shall see!). Then Allah says:

﴿ط£ظژظپظژط¨ظگط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظگظ†ظژط§ ظٹظژط³ظ’طھظژط¹ظ’ط¬ظگظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(Do they seek to hasten on Our torment) meaning, `they seek to hasten on the punishment because they disbelieve in you, and Allah is angry with them because of that and will make them suffer the consequences, and because of their disbelief and stubbornness, He will hasten on the punishment.'

﴿ظپظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ†ظژط²ظژظ„ظژ ط¨ظگط³ظژط§ط­ظژطھظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظپظژط³ظژط¢ط،ظژ طµظژط¨ظژط§ط­ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈظ†ظ’ط°ظژط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(Then, when it descends in their courtyard, evil will be the morning for those who had been warned!) means, when the punishment comes down to the place where they are, terrible will be the day of their punishment and destruction. As-Suddi said:

﴿ظپظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ†ظژط²ظژظ„ظژ ط¨ظگط³ظژط§ط­ظژطھظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’﴾

(Then, when it descends in their courtyard,) means, in their homes;

﴿ظپظژط³ظژط¢ط،ظژ طµظژط¨ظژط§ط­ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈظ†ظ’ط°ظژط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(evil will be the morning for those who had been warned!) means, how terrible that morning will be for them. It was reported in the Two Sahihs that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "On the morning of Khaybar, when the people came out with their tools (to go about their daily work) and saw the (Muslim) army, they went back and said, `Muhammad by Allah! Muhammad and the army!' The Prophet said:

آ«ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظڈ ط£ظژظƒظ’ط¨ظژط±ظڈطŒ ط®ظژط±ظگط¨ظژطھظ’ ط®ظژظٹظ’ط¨ظژط±ظڈطŒ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ†ظژط²ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط¨ظگط³ظژط§ط­ظژط©ظگ ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظچ ظپظژط³ظژط§ط،ظژ طµظژط¨ظژط§ط­ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈظ†ظ’ط°ظژط±ظگظٹظ†آ»

(Allahu Akbar! Khaybar has been destroyed. Then, when it descends in the courtyard of any people, evil will be the morning for those who had been warned!)''

﴿ظˆظژطھظژظˆظژظ„ظ‘ظژ ط¹ظژظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط­ظژطھظ‘ظژظ‰ ط­ظگظٹظ†ظچ ظˆظژط£ظژط¨ظ’طµظگط±ظ’ ظپظژط³ظژظˆظ’ظپظژ ظٹظڈط¨ظ’طµظگط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ-﴾

(So turn away from them for a while, and watch and they shall see!) This is a reiteration of the command stated above. And Allah knows best.

﴿ط³ظڈط¨ظ’ط­ظژظ€ظ†ظژ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظƒظژ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظگط²ظ‘ظژط©ظگ ط¹ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ظٹظژطµظگظپظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظˆظژط³ظژظ„ظژظ€ظ…ظŒ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط±ظ’ط³ظژظ„ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظ…ظ’ط¯ظڈ ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژظ€ظ„ظژظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ-﴾

(180. Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Al-`Izzah! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him!) (181. And Salam (peace!) be on the Messengers!) (182. And all the praises and thanks be to Allah, Lord of all that exists.)