said: "If you see Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, giving the servant what he wishes while he persists in his disobedience, then that is merely a form of gradual enticement [istidraj] from Him toward him." Then he recited: "And when they angered Us, We took retribution from them and drowned them all." (1)

18511 - From Ibn Abbas regarding His saying: "And when they angered Us [asafuna]," he said: "They made Us angry." And regarding His saying: "as a precedent [salafan]," he said: "Conflicting desires." (2)

18512 - From 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "If you see Allah giving the servant what he wishes while he persists in his disobedience, then that is merely a form of gradual enticement from Him toward him." Then he recited: "And when they angered Us, We took retribution from them and drowned them all." (3)

18513 - From Tariq ibn Shihab, who said: "I was with Abdullah when the subject of sudden death was mentioned in his presence. He said: 'It is a relief for the believer and a source of regret for the disbeliever. And when they angered Us, We took retribution from them.'" (4)

His saying, the Almighty: "And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, immediately your people laughed aloud at it [yasiddun]."

18514 - Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Dimashqi narrated to us, Adam narrated to us, Shayban narrated to us, from 'Asim ibn Abi al-Najud, from Abu Ahmad the freed slave of the Ansar, from Ibn Abbas who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "O assembly of the Quraysh, there is no one worshiped besides Allah who possesses any good." They said to him: "Do you not claim that Jesus was a prophet and a righteous servant among the servants of Allah, and he was worshiped besides Allah?" So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed: "And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, immediately your people laughed aloud at it." (5)

His saying, the Almighty: "They did not present it to you except for [the sake of] argument. Rather, they are a contentious people."

18515 - Humayd ibn 'Ayyash al-Ramli narrated to us, Mu'ammil narrated to us, Hammad narrated to us, Ibn Makhzum informed us, from al-Qasim Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Shami, from Abu Umamah, who said—Hammad said: I do not know if he attributed it [to the Prophet] or not—: "No nation went astray after its prophet except that its first form of misguidance was the denial of the Divine Decree [qadar]. And no nation went astray after its prophet except that they were granted the ability to argue." Then he recited: "They did not present it to you except for [the sake of] argument. Rather, they are a contentious people." (6)

His saying, the Almighty: "And indeed, it [i.e., Jesus] is a sign for the Hour."

18516 - From Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said