over all things.
The meaning of verse 2:20:
The lightning almost snatches away their sight from them, i.e. from the hypocrites. Similarly, the exposition of the Quran almost snatched away their error. As often as the lightening flashes forth, for them they walk therein in the brightness of lightening, and when it darkened against them they stand still; they remain in darkness. Likewise, when the hypocrites declared themselves to be believers, they went along with that which the believers went along with because their outward faith was accepted. But when they died, they remained in the darkness of the grave.
And if Allah willed, He could destroy their hearing, take away the thunder, and their sight, the lightening. Likewise, if Allah willed, He could take away the hearing of the hypocrites through the rebukes and threats contained in the Quran, and He could also take away their sight through the exposition contained therein.
Indeed Allah is able to do all things, in terms of destroying their hearing and sight.
In other words, the verse says: the lightning well-nigh, almost, snatches away their sight, that is, takes it away swiftly; when so ever it gives them light, they walk in it, in its light; and when the darkness is over them, they stop, that is, they stand still: a simile of the perturbation that the Quran arguments cause in their hearts, and of their acknowledging the truths of what they love to hear and recoiling from what they detest; had Allah willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight, that is, the exterior faculty, in the same way that He took away their inner one; Truly, Allah has power over all things, that He wills, as for