"Then the cry seized them," meaning: the punishment, according to the tafsir of al-Hasan. "And we made them as refuse (ghutha')," meaning: like vegetation when it crumbles after having been green.
Muhammad said: Al-ghutha' in the language means that which surfaces on a flood, such as tree leaves.
The meaning is: We made them perish like refuse, because refuse scatters and departs.
﴿فَأَخَذتهم الصَّيْحَة﴾ يَعْنِي: الْعَذَابَ؛ فِي تَفْسِيرِ الْحَسَنِ ﴿فجعلناهم غثاء﴾ يَعْنِي: مِثْلَ النَّبَاتِ إِذَا تَهَشَّمَ بَعْدَ إِذْ كَانَ أَخْضَرَ.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: الْغُثَاءُ فِي اللُّغَةِ: هُوَ مَا عَلَا السَّيْلَ مِنْ وَرَقِ الشَّجَرِ.
الْمَعْنَى: جَعَلْنَاهُمْ هَلْكَى كَالْغُثَاءِ؛ لِأَن الغثاء يتفرق وَيذْهب.
