Tafsir of Az-Zukhruf 43:55

{فَلَمَّا آسَفُونَا انتَقَمْنَا}

{آسَفُونَا} is derived from asifa asafan (to be intensely angry). From this is the Hadith regarding sudden death: "A mercy for the believer and a seizure of anger (asaf) for the disbeliever."

Its meaning is: They exceeded all bounds in disobedience and transgressed their limits, thereby necessitating that We hasten Our punishment and vengeance upon them, and that We do not show them forbearance.

{فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ سَلَفًا وَمَثَلًا لِّلْآخِرِينَ}

• {سَلَفًا} is read as the plural of salif (predecessor), like khadim and khadam.
• {سُلُفًا} (with two dammahs) is the plural of salif, meaning: a group that has preceded.
• {سُلَفًا} is the plural of sulfa, meaning: a party that has passed away.

Its meaning is: We made them a precedent for the later disbelievers, so that they may follow their example in deserving a punishment similar to theirs, and its descent upon them, because they committed deeds similar to theirs.

• {مَثَلًا}: A story of strange significance, circulating like a proverb, which people recount, saying to them: "Your example is like the people of Pharaoh."

{وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ * وَقَالُوا أَآلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ * إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ}