They said, satisfied with what they have of the disease of admiration that leads to every blame. "It is the same for us whether you admonish," meaning: you frighten and warn, and you were the sign of your time in that by saying from it what no one could do like it. This is indicated by his saying: "Or were you not among the admonishers?" meaning: qualified for something of the rank of the firmly rooted in admonition, counted among them, mentioned among them. This is more eloquent than "Or did you not admonish?" or "Were you not an admonisher?" Admonition, as Al-Baghawi said, is a speech that softens the heart by mentioning the promise and the warning. The meaning is that the matter is the same in both cases in that we do not obey you in anything.