"He compelled it upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession (husuman)," meaning consecutively, without any letup. This took place from Wednesday to the following Wednesday. The nights were seven, from the night of Thursday to the night of Wednesday.
Muhammad said: Regarding His saying: "Husuman (in succession)," it is said: It is derived from the cauterization (hasm) of a disease, because it is performed repeatedly, following up with the cautery. It is also said: The meaning is that it wipes them out completely (tahsumuhum husuman); meaning, it destroys and annihilates them. And Allah knows best.
"So you would see the people therein fallen," He informs about them, "as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees," comparing them to palm trees that had been uprooted and fallen. And His saying: "Khawiyah (hollow)" means decayed, having taken their bodies away from their souls, like hollowed-out palm trees.
﴿سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّام حسوما﴾ أَيْ: تِبَاعًا لَيْسَ فِيهَا تَفْتِيرٌ، وَكَانَ ذَلِك من يَوْم الْأَرْبَعَاء إِلَى الْأَرْبَعَاءِ الْآخَرِ، وَاللَّيَالِي سبعٌ مِنْ لَيْلَةِ الْخَمْيِسِ إِلَى لَيْلَةِ الْأَرْبَعَاءِ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: قَوْلُهُ: ﴿حُسُومًا﴾ يُقَالُ: هُوَ مِنْ حَسْمِ الدَّاءِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ يَكُونُ مَرَّةً بَعْدَ مَرَّةٍ يُتَابِعُ عَلَيْهِ بَالْكَيِّ. وَقِيلَ: الْمَعْنَى: تَحْسُمُهُمْ حُسُومًا؛ أَيْ: تُذْهِبهم وَتُفْنِيهِمْ؛ فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.
﴿فَتَرَى الْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صرعى﴾ أَخْبَرَ عَنْهُمْ ﴿كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ﴾ شَبَّهَهُمْ بِالنَّخْلِ الَّتِي قَدِ انْقَعَرَتْ فَوَقَعت، وَقَوله: ﴿خاوية﴾ يَعْنِي: بَالِيَةٌ أَخَذَتْ أَبْدَانَهُمْ مِنْ أَرْوَاحهم، كالنخل الخاوية.
