Tafsir of Az-Zukhruf 43:55

So when they angered Us, We punished them, and drowned them all. Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said it means: "When they angered Us means, they provoked Our wrath.'' Ad-Dahhak said, it means "They made Us angry.'' This was also the view of Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Qatadah, As-Suddi and other scholars of Tafsir. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Uqbah bin `Amir, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah said:

إذا رأيت الله تبارك وتعالى يعطي العبد ما يشاء وهو مقيم على معاصيه فٳنما ذلك استدراج منه له

When you see that Allah gives a person what he wants even though he is persisting in sin, that means that Allah is enticing him into destruction. Then he recited:

فلما آسفونا انتقمنا منهم فٲغرقناهم أجمعين

(So when they angered Us, We punished them, and drowned them all). It was reported that Tariq bin Shihab said, "I was with Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, and the issue of sudden death was mentioned. He said, `It is a relief for the believer and a source of regret for the disbeliever.' Then he recited the Ayah:

فلما آسفونا انتقمنا منهم فٲغرقناهم أجمعين

(So when they angered Us, We punished them, and drowned them all).'' Umar bin Abdul-Aziz, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I found that punishment comes with negligence, meaning the Ayah:

فلما آسفونا انتقمنا منهم فٲغرقناهم أجمعين

(So when they angered Us, We punished them, and drowned them all).''

فجعلناهم سلفا ومثﻼ لﻼخرين