﴿ وَأَصْحَٰبُ مَدْيَنَ ۖ وَكُذِّبَ مُوسَىٰ فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلْكَٰفِرِينَ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ ﴾

“and the dwellers of Madyan; and [so, too,] Moses was given the lie [by Pharaoh]. And [in every ease] I gave rein, for a while, to the deniers of the truth: but then I took them to task - and how awesome was My denial [of them,]!”

((And) the dwellers in Midian) the people of Shu'ayb denied Shu'ayb. (And Moses was denied) the Copts denied him; (but I indulged the disbelievers a long while) but I gave a reprieve to the disbelievers in their state of disbelief until the appointed time, (then I seized them) with chastisement, (and how (terrible) was My abhorrence!) see, O Muhammad, how I changed towards them through My punishment.