• Al-Baghawee said, "Al-Hasan and Qataadah said, ‘Allaah gave him an exemplary punishment in this world and the hereafter, meaning, drowning in this world and a fire in the hereafter. And Mujaahid and a group of the people of tafseer said, "What is meant by the latter and the earlier is the two sayings of Pharaoh."

• Ibn Katheer said, "(Meaning), Allaah chastised him with a punishment that made an example and a lesson of him, for the like of him from the transgressors in the world … and this is what is cvorrect with regard to what is meant in the aayah, ‘Nakaalal-aakhirati wal-Oolaa’ that it means, in the world and the Hereafter. And it is said that what is meant is his two sayings, the first and the last; and it is said, his kufr and his disobedience. And what is correct about which there is no doubt is the first."

• At-Tabaree said, "He, the Most High, says, that in the punishment that Allaah brought to Pharaoh in this world, and His punishing him with the punishment of the first and the last – there is an admonition and a lesson for anyone who fears Allaah and fears His punishment.."

• As-Sa’dee said, "Since the one who fears Allaah, he is the one who benefits from the signs and the lessons, then he knows that whoever is haughty and disobendent, and challenges the Highest Sovereign, will be punished by Him in this world and the Hereafter. As for the one whose heart is such that fear of Allaah has departed from it, then even if every sign came to him, he would not believe it."

• At-Tabaree said, "He, the Most High, said to those deniers of the Resurrection from Quraysh, who said, ‘A-‘idhahh kunna idhaaman nakhirah, Qaaloo, tilka idhjan karratun khaasirah.’ (11-12), ‘Are you, O People, harder to create, or the heavens which your Lord created? So for Him who built the heavens and made that a ceiling for you, then it is easy for Him to create you and create the like of you. And to give you life after your death, and creating you after your death is not harder than the creating of the heavens. Banaahaa: He raised it up, and so made it a ceiling for the earth."

• Al-Baghawee said, "Then he addressed the deniers of the Resurrection, saying, ‘A-antum ashaddu khalqan amis-Samaa,’ meaning, ‘Is creating you after death harder in your view and in your estimation or (creating) the heavens?’ and they are both the same in the power and ability of Allaah."

• Ash-Shawkaanee said, "And the address was to the unbelievers of Makkah, and what is meant by it is a rebuke and censure of them, since the one who is able to create the heavens which are tremendous in size, and contain amazing creations, and wonderful proofs of His power – which clearly show those who see them: who can he be unable to bring those bodies which He has caused to die back to life, when it was He who created them in the first place?"

• At-Tabaree said, "He, the Most High, says He made the Heavens evenly, such that one part does not stand out higher than the rest, not any part lower than the rest – but it is even in its elevation and its expansion. Qataadah said, ‘He raised it up and made it even.’ Mujaahid said, ‘He raised it up, without any pillar.’"

• Al-Baghawee said, "Fa-Sawwaahaa: means without any gaps or splits."

• Ibn Katheer said, "That is, He made it high, long – lasting, even and adorned with stars in the dark night."

Wa Aghtashaa Lailahaa wa Akhraja Duhaahaa