Tafsir of Surah Al-A'raf - Verse 183

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ

(Those who reject Our Ayat, We shall gradually seize them in ways they perceive not) meaning, the doors of provisions will be opened for them and also the means of livelihood, in this life. They will be deceived by all this and think that they are on the correct path. Allah said in another instance,

فَلَمَّا نَسُواْ مَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُواْ بِمَآ أُوتُواْ أَخَذْنَـهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ مُّبْلِسُونَ - فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ وَالْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

(So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened for them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them (in punishment), and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrow. So the root of the people who did wrong was cut off. And all the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.)6:44-45. Allah said here,

وَأَمْلَى لَهُمْ

(And I respite them) prolong what they are in,

إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ

(certainly My plan is strong) and perfect.

The next verse (183) is also related with 'Istidraj'. It said:

وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ ﴿183﴾

"And I give them respite. Surely, My plan is firm."

That is, the disbelievers are left to enjoy their worldly life just for a while. Then, they shall be caught by punishment.

The reason for man’s being misguided in respect of God is that, although he accepts His existence, he often frames a wrong image of God in his mind. He attributes some things to God which do not befit His glory. For example, imagining things as in the case of a human being, he formulates the idea of God’s close ones. Looking at Kings, he assumes the existence of deputies and assistants of God, just as there are regents and advisers of Kings. In the matter of God’s decisions, he assumes such things as fulfil his desires, but which are not in accordance with God’s justice. Attributing to God such matters as are not consistent with His Majesty and Glory amounts to distortion of the names of God. God does not seize a person immediately for his wrongdoing. In this way, he is given the opportunity either to take a lesson from God’s warnings and reform himself, or to become still more fearless so that his guilt becomes well-established.