Tafsir of An-Naml 27:72

The root meaning of radufa (ردف) is "to follow." What is intended here is that it has overtaken and reached you. It is a verb that transitions directly [without a preposition]. Regarding the letter lam (in lakum), it is said: it is extra, for the purpose of emphasizing the arrival of the action upon the object, just as the ba (in bi-aydikum) is added for that purpose in the words of the Almighty: "And do not throw yourselves with your hands into destruction."

It is also said that the lam is present to incorporate the meaning of dana (to approach/be near) into radufa, for dana takes the lam just as it takes min (from) and ila (to), as stated in al-Asas. Because of this inclusion, it has been used with min in the verse:

And when we reached [radufna min] 'Umayr and his companions, They turned back quickly, while death was galloping.

Others argue that the lam introduces a prepositional phrase related to the "reason for the action" (maf'ul li-ajlihi), while the direct object of the verb is omitted—meaning: "It has followed [the creation] for your sake," though the weakness of this view is not hidden. It is also suggested that the speech is complete at radufa, with its subject being a pronoun returning to "the promise," and that the words "some of what you seek to hasten" begin a new clause where ba'd (some) is an independent subject (mubtada') and lakum relates to an omitted predicate. The incoherence of this interpretation and its departure from the apparent meaning without any verbal or semantic necessity is evident.

The meaning is: Say, "Perhaps some of that which you seek to hasten the arrival of, and demand time after time, has already reached and arrived at you." This "some" refers to the punishment of the Day of Badr. It is also said to refer to the punishment of the grave. Attributing the "hastening" of this to them is based on the implications of their state of denial and mockery; otherwise, there is no actual hastening on their part.

Regarding the expectation (hope) understood from 'asa (perhaps): it is said to refer to the servants. Al-Zamakhshari said: "Indeed, 'asa (perhaps), la'alla (maybe), and sawfa (soon) in the promises and threats of kings indicate the truth and seriousness of the matter, leaving no room for doubt. They intend by this to manifest their dignity and that they do not hasten in vengeance, due to their confidence in their power and dominance, their certainty that their enemy cannot escape them, and that a mere gesture toward their goals is sufficient from them." Thus, the promises and threats of God Almighty followed this pattern.

Accordingly, there is a representative metaphor (isti'arah tamthiliyyah) in the speech, the beauty of which is not hidden. The preference for the wording of the noble text over saying "Perhaps it will follow you" ('asa an yardufakum) is due to it being more indicative of the certainty of the promise. Ibn Hurmuz read it as radafa (with a fathah on the dal), which is a linguistic variant for it.