Ad-Dukhan: (28) Thus, and We bequeathed them to another people.

"Thus" (Kadhalik): Al-Zajjaj said: The meaning is "the matter is thus," and the intent is confirmation and establishment. A pause is therefore made at "thus," and the kaf (in kadhalik) is in the nominative case as a predicate of an elided subject, or the preposition and its genitive object serve the same function. It is also said that the kaf is in the accusative case, meaning: "We perform an action such as this to whomsoever We wish to destroy." Al-Kalbi’s statement—"meaning: thus I do to those who disobey Me"—is evident in what has been mentioned. Al-Zamakhshari said: The kaf is in the accusative case, meaning "like that extraction"—that is, inferred from what preceded, "We extracted them from it."

"And We bequeathed them to another people" (28): This is a conjunction referring back to "they left behind" (taraku), and the sentence is parenthetical in all views except the last one, and it is a conjunction referring to "We extracted them" (akhrajnahum) in that final view. It is also said that the kaf is in the accusative case, meaning "they left behind, a leaving behind like that," in which case the conjunction is to "they left behind" without being parenthetical, and this is as you see [it to be].

The "other people" refers to the Children of Israel, and they are distinct from the Copts in lineage and religion. This is explained by the Almighty's saying in Surah ash-Shu'ara: "Thus, and We bequeathed them to the Children of Israel," which is apparent in that the Children of Israel returned to Egypt after the destruction of Pharaoh and his kings. Al-Hasan held this view.

It is also said that the intent is those other than the Children of Israel who ruled Egypt after the destruction of the Copts; Qatadah inclined toward this. He said: "It has not been related in famous historical accounts that the Children of Israel returned to Egypt, nor that they ever ruled it." The first statement in Surah ash-Shu'ara is interpreted as being of the category of: "And no long-lived one is granted long life, nor is his life cut short," and your saying: "I have a dirham and half of it." Thus, the intent is not specifically what they left behind, but rather its type and what resembles it.

"Inheritance" (al-irath) is bestowing. It is said: The intent of bequeathing them to them is enabling them to exercise control over them, and that does not depend on their return to Egypt as they were in it previously. A group adopted the view of al-Hasan and said: "There is no consideration given to historical accounts, nor to the books in the hands of the Jews today, for there is much falsehood in them. Sufficient for us is the Book of Allah Almighty, and He—Glory be to Him—is the most truthful of speakers, and His Book—Exalted and Majestic—is protected from the distortion of the distorters."