Then addresses the disbelievers of the Quraysh, and along with them the rest of mankind,

﴿إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولاً شَـهِداً عَلَيْكُمْ﴾

(Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger to be a witness over you,) meaning, witnessing your deeds.

﴿إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولاً شَـهِداً عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولاً - فَعَصَى فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَـهُ أَخْذاً وَبِيلاً ﴾

(as We did send a Messenger to Fir`awn. But Fir`awn disobeyed the Messenger; so We seized him with a severe punishment.)

﴿أَخْذاً وَبِيلاً﴾

(severe punishment) Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi, and Ath-Thawri said that this means severe. This means, `you should beware of denying this Messenger, lest you be afflicted by that which befell Fir`awn. Allah seized him with the seizing of One Mighty and Powerful.' This is as Allah says,

﴿فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الاٌّخِرَةِ وَالاٍّوْلَى ﴾

(So Allah seized him with punishment for his last and first transgression.) (79:25) `Therefore, you will be even more deserving of destruction and ruin if you deny your Messenger, because your Messenger is more noble and a greater than Prophet Musa, the son of `Imran.' This has been reported from Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid.