An-Nahl - Ayah 33

The Disbelievers' Refrain from Faith means that They were simply awaiting Punishment Threatening the idolators for their persistence in falsehood and their conceited delusions about this world, Allah says: Are these people waiting only for the angels to come and take their souls Qatadah said: أَوْ يَأْتِىَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ (Or there comes the command of your Lord) means the Day of Resurrection and the terror that they will go through." كَذَلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ (Thus did those before them.) means, thus did their predecessors and those who were like them among the idolators persist in their Shirk, until they tasted the wrath of Allah and experienced the punishment and torment that they suffered. وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ (And Allah did not wrong them.) because by sending His Messengers and revealing His Books He gave them enough warning and clearly demonstrated His proofs to them. وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ (but they were wronging themselves.) meaning, by opposing the Messengers and denying what they brought. For this reason Allah's punishment tormented them. وَحَاقَ بِهِم (they were surrounded) meaning, they were overwhelmed by the painful torment. مَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ (by that which they used to mock.) meaning, they used to make fun of the Messengers when they warned them Allah's punishment, and for this it will be said to them on the Day of Resurrection: هَـذِهِ النَّارُ الَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ (This is the Fire which you used to belie.) (52:14).