And when he mentioned their punishment, he followed it with a description of their state, confirming their distance. He said: "Those are the ones who have purchased" meaning: persistence and continuation in misguidance "the misguidance" away from the path of goodness "with guidance." And when he mentioned their state in this world, he followed it with the matter of the Hereafter. He said: "and the punishment" due to their committing this grave sin "with forgiveness" which would have saved them if it had erased their minor sins, had they been safe from this affliction that was a cause for the misguidance of many people. Thus, they bore their burden. And when He, glorified and exalted is He, made their first food fire and their last matter punishment, and the description of their state was the absence of forgiveness, it was also the middle of their state, fire, which caused astonishment regarding their matter by their imprisoning themselves in that which is the meaning of patience due to their entanglement with the fire in reality or with its causes without concern. He said: "So what has made them so patient?" meaning: how strong is their imprisonment of themselves or how bold are they "towards the fire" which they consumed in this world, so they felt it in the Hereafter - he mentioned much of that, which is a heat; however, I have dealt with it. And if you consider it a metaphor, it would be like your saying to one who defied the sultan: how patient you are with the long imprisonment and the heavy chains! A threat to him.