In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Most High, said: said:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّبِيٍّ إِلَّا أَخَذْنَا أَهْلَهَا بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَضَّرَّعُونَ
ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ السَّيِّئَةِ الْحَسَنَةَ حَتَّىٰ عَفَوا وَّقَالُوا قَدْ مَسَّ آبَاءَنَا الضَّرَّاءُ وَالسَّرَّاءُ فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

And We sent no Prophet unto any town (and they denied him), but We seized its people with suffering from extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss of health and calamities, so that they might humiliate themselves (and repent to Allah). Then We changed the evil for the good, until they increased in number and in wealth, and said: “Our fathers were touched with evil (loss of health and calamities) and with good (prosperity, etc.).” So We seized them of a sudden while they were unaware. [Al-A’raaf 94-95]

Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Meaning, they said: “This is something normal that has not ceased since the earlier and later generations and is still happening among the later generations. At times they were in a state of ease and at other times they encountered hardships- at times there was happiness and at other times there was sorrow, according to the alternation of time periods”.

They thought that neither is there an admonition or reminder to pay attention to nor that this is Istidraj (i.e. being gradually led to destruction while they persist in sin), until when they rejoiced in what they were given and this worldly life became the most important thing in their minds, Allah seized them with punishment.

“Suddenly while they were unaware”– Meaning, it never occurred to them that they may encounter destruction, and they thought that they possessed full control over what Allah bestowed on them and that neither will they cease to exist nor leave it behind.

An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi