وَأَصْحَابُ مَدْيَنَ وَكُذِّبَ مُوسَىAnd if they deny you, so did deny before them the people of Nuh, `Ad and Thamud. And the people of Ibrahim and the people of Lut, And the dwellers of Madyan; and denied was Musa.means, despite all the clear signs and evidence that they brought.فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلْكَافِرِينَBut I granted respite to the disbelievers for a while,means, `I delayed and postponed.'ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِthen I seized them, and how (terrible) was My punishment!means, `how great was My vengeance against them and My punishment of them!'In the Two Sahihs it is reported from Abu Musa that the Prophet said:إِنَّ اللهَ لَيُمْلِي لِلظَّالِمِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَهُ لَمْ يُفْلِتْهAllah lets the wrongdoer carry on until, when He seizes him, He will never let him go.Then he recited:وَكَذلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَى وَهِىَ ظَـلِمَةٌ إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيدٌSuch is the punishment of your Lord when He seizes the towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His punishment is painful (and) severe. (11:102)Then Allah says