Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “So look at how was the end of the warners, except for the slaves of Allah who are sincere.”

Look, the address here is directed to a singular masculine person, so who is it? Is it the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)? Is it appropriate to direct the address to him? The second option is more general, meaning: “So look, O addressed one, or O listener, at how was the end of the warners.” Here he said and did not say “what was,” meaning: look at the manner and the ultimate outcome, because whoever looks at the manner looks at the ultimate outcome. If he had said “what was their punishment,” the answer would have been destruction. But “how was their punishment”—look at it, at its manner. [Al-'Ankabut:40] So look at the manner, the manner of the outcome, so that you benefit from this look: the severity of the punishment and its suitability to the sin. Because Allah said meaning that its outcome is suitable to its sin. And when you reflect on this, you will find the matter as Allah the Mighty and Majestic said. For example, 'Ad boasted of their strength and said So they were destroyed by the gentlest of things, which is the wind. Allah sent upon them a wind that destroyed them, and they became such that nothing was seen of them except their dwellings. And Pharaoh boasted of the rivers flowing beneath him, so he was destroyed by what he boasted of, which is water. And so on; whenever you reflect on the destruction of the people who denied the messengers, you will find that their punishment was exactly suitable to their sins. So, look at how [it was] is more comprehensive than look at what was their outcome. The reason is that it indicates the severity of the taking and its suitability to the sin. Then, if you look at the manner, you will look at the outcome. But if it were said “look at what their outcome was,” you would only be commanded to look at the outcome. And his saying The sentence here is interrogative, but it is in the position of the object of “look.” And is this look with the eye or with the heart? This look is with the heart. Generally, the look with the eye is transitive with “to,” so one says “he looked at it.” And the look of the heart is transitive by itself. meaning with the hearts. But with the eyes, it does not benefit if the heart is not affected by it. And his saying The warners here is a passive noun, those who were warned and made to fear, but they did not fear and the warning did not affect them. So how was their outcome?