He said, "Indeed, you are a people"; meaning: strong; "denied"; there must be a great evil for one of the people of the earth due to your coming to this town. This is the meaning of "they were harmed by it" [Hud: 77]; the verse. He presented the account of his denial of them and his informing them about the punishment, similar to what was mentioned in the story of Ibrahim - blessings and peace be upon him -; from the admonition against their saying: "If only you would bring us the angels" [Al-Hijr: 7]; which implies the desire for all the angels; "if you are among the truthful" [Al-Hijr: 7]; to inform them that some of the angels came to the one who was the most complete of the people of that time; in the most beautiful forms of humanity; bringing glad tidings to them. Yet, each of them feared them; so how if there were among them a large number? Or how if they were in their forms? Or how if the one seeing them was someone else? Or how if he was a disbeliever? "On the Day they see the angels, there will be no glad tidings that Day for the criminals, and they will say, 'A barrier, forbidden'" [Al-Furqan: 22]; and it is possible that his saying to them this statement was only at the time of informing them that they were messengers of Allah; and the meaning then would be: indeed, you are not in the state of one who comes with revelation; for your matter has become difficult for me; because I do not know you; with the discomfort from you; and that was after his discussion with his people; then his confrontation with them about them; so he was fearful for them; when they informed him that they were angels; he feared that they had come with something he would dislike. And it has been previously mentioned that informing about what was at a time does not harm the precedence of some over others; nor the omission of some; and the mention of another; and the letter that is originally the source; which is "that"; as in "the spider"; for his denial of them; although it was arranged upon their coming; yet it is not connected to its beginning; unlike the evening.