[By] that We repaid them because they disbelieved
ذَلِكَ جَزَيْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَفَرُوا [Saba 34:17]
that
ذلك
the replacement
We recompensed them
جزيناهم
And if he had said: "The author, that replacement and the sending of the flood," it would have been more comprehensive and inclusive, or if he had said: "that which is mentioned," it would have been more inclusive.
We repaid them because they disbelieved
جَزَيْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَفَرُوا [Saba 34:17]
because of their disbelief
And do We [thus] repay except the ungrateful?
وَهَلْ نُجَازِي إِلَّا الْكَفُورَ [Saba 34:17]
We repaid them because they disbelieved
جَزَيْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَفَرُوا [Saba 34:17]
The author said:
"because of their disbelief" This informed us that "ma" is a source particle, and as for the "ba," it is for causality, meaning: We punished them with this punishment by drowning their wealth, demolishing their buildings, and replacing the two gardens with these two gardens.
for what they disbelieved in
بما كفروا
that is, because of their disbelief.
And do We [thus] repay except the ungrateful?
وَهَلْ نُجَازِي إِلَّا الْكَفُورَ [Saba 34:17]
And is anyone recompensed except the disbelievers?
وَهَلْ يجَازَى إِلَّا الْكَفُورَ
with the yā and the nūn, with the dāl in the kasrah state and the kafūr in the accusative state, meaning: "There is nothing to be questioned but He." In his statement:
Do We recompense
هل نجازي
there are two readings.
We recompense
نجازي
And with this reading, it is obligatory to put
the disbelievers
الكفور
in the accusative state as an object, unlike the second reading.
is recompensed
يجازَى
And with that, the kafūr is in the nominative state as a substitute for the subject. And the interrogative does not mean negation, because it is followed by
Except
إلا
so it becomes
do We [thus] repay except the ungrateful?
هَلْ نُجَازِي إِلَّا الْكَفُورَ [Saba 34:17]
meaning: "We do not punish except the kafūr." The punishment here means questioning or recompense for the action. And "kafūr" is a form of exaggeration, meaning one who has disbelief toward Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). And Allah knows best.