"And what prevented the people from believing when the guidance came to them and from asking forgiveness of their Lord"—for their polytheism—"except that the precedent of the former peoples should befall them," meaning: what Allah punished the previous nations with, "or that the punishment should come to them face to face," meaning: in plain sight.
﴿وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا إِذْ جَاءَهُمُ الْهُدَى وَيَسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّهُمْ﴾ مِنْ شِرْكِهِمْ ﴿إِلا أَنْ تَأْتِيَهُمْ سنة الْأَوَّلين﴾ يَعْنِي: مَا عذب الله بِهِ الْأُمَمَ السَّالِفَةَ ﴿أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ قبلا﴾ عيَانًا.
