﴿ فَلَمَّآ ءَاسَفُونَا ٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَٰهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴾

“But when they continued to challenge Us, We inflicted Our retribution on them, and drowned them all:”

So when they had angered Us, We took vengeance on them�He said:That is, �When they enraged Us by persisting in their transgression against [Our] commandments, by their exhibition of innovations (bidaʿ) in the religion, their abandoning of the traditional ways [of the Prophet] (sunan), due to their pursuit of [their own] opinions and desires, We removed the light of gnosis (nūr al-maʿrifa) from their hearts, the lamp of the realisation of [Our] oneness (sirāj al-tawḥīd) from their innermost secrets (asrār), and We entrusted them to their own selves, and to whatever they chose [for themselves]. Consequently they went astray and misled [others].Then he said:Following (ittibāʿ) [is the key], following! Emulation (iqtidāʾ) [is the key], emulation! For sure, that was the way of the predecessors (salaf). He who follows [their guidance] will not go astray, but he who innovates will not be saved.His words, Exalted is He: