Thabit, they said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The plague is a 'Rijz' (punishment), a torment with which a people before you were punished."

8437 - Abu Zur'ah told us, Minjab told us, Bishr informed us, from Abu Rawq, from al-Dahhak, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding his saying: "The Rijz"—he said: Every instance in the Book of Allah of the word 'Rijz' refers to punishment. It was narrated from al-Hasan, Abu Malik, Mujahid, al-Suddi, and Qatadah something similar to that.

[The second interpretation]

8438 - 'Isam ibn Rawwad told us, Adam told us, Abu Ja'far al-Razi told us, from al-Rabi' ibn Anas, from Abu al-'Aliyah regarding His saying: "Rijzan"—he said: The Rijz is wrath.

The third interpretation:

8439 - 'Ali ibn al-Husayn told us, 'Umar ibn Isma'il ibn Mujalid told us, my father told us, from Mujalid, from al-Sha'bi, who said: The Rijz is either the plague or the cold.

His saying, the Almighty: "And ask them about the town that was by the sea."

[The first interpretation]

8440 - My father told us, Abu 'Umar told us, Sufyan told us, from Abu Bakr al-Hudhali, from 'Ikrimah, who said: I entered upon Ibn 'Abbas while he was reciting this verse: "And ask them about the town that was by the sea." 'Ikrimah said: Do you know which town this is? I said: No. He said: It is Ayla. It was narrated from Sa'id ibn Jubayr and al-Dahhak the same as that.

And the second interpretation:

8441 - My father told us, Sahl ibn 'Uthman told us, al-Muharibi told us, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Dawud ibn al-Husayn, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding this verse: "And ask them about the town that was by the sea"—he said: It is a town called Madyan, between Ayla and al-Tur.

[And the third interpretation:]

8442 - It was read to Yunus ibn 'Abd al-A'la, Ibn Wahb informed us, Haywah ibn Shurayh informed me, from 'Aqil, from Ibn Shihab, that he said: The town that Allah said was by the sea is: Tabariyya (Tiberias).

And the fourth interpretation:

8443 - Abu Zayd al-Qaratisi informed us in what he wrote to me, Asbagh ibn al-Faraj informed us, he said: