Surah 43. Az-Zukhruf, Ayah 48

The concept of "returning" to God implies that the instinctive ability to perceive His existence is inherent in human nature as such, and that man's "turning away" from God is only a consequence of spiritual degeneration, and not an original tendency or predisposition: cf. {7:172-173}. The "suffering" ('adhab) mentioned above relates to the plagues with which the recalcitrant Egyptians were struck (see 7:130 ff.).

 i.e., the hand and the staff (see 20:17-22).

 The torments were: famine, shortage of crops, floods, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood (see 7:130-133).

Moses showed them nine Clear Signs: see n. 1091 to vii. 133; also xvii. 101. Each one of them in its own setting and circumstances was greater than any of its "Sister" Signs. The object was if possible to reclaim as many Egyptians as possible from their defiance of Allah.