And when their reversal after these uplifting causes was far, he indicated it with a tool of delay, or it is an indication of the prolongation of the supplication of the messengers for them and their bearing of them, he said: ﴿Then there was﴾ meaning a state from which it was impossible to detach, and it is in the utmost horror as indicated by the reminder of the action ﴿the consequence﴾ meaning the last of the matter ﴿of those who did wrong﴾ it revealed the place of the implicit in generalization and indication of the cause ﴿the worst﴾ meaning the state which is the worst that can be, and it is the loss of souls by destruction in this world and eternal dwelling in punishment in the Hereafter, recompense for them by the kind of their deeds, for as they wronged the messengers, the King wronged them; then he mentioned the reason by saying: ﴿that they denied﴾ meaning because of their denial of the messengers, disregarding ﴿the signs of Allah﴾ meaning the indications attributed to the Most High King who has all perfection, indicating to Him by its greatness of His greatness ﴿And they were﴾ meaning a state as if it were a nature for them ﴿with it﴾ while it was the farthest thing from mockery ﴿mocking﴾ meaning they continued in that by renewing it at every time while magnifying it until their mockery of other than it was as if it were non-existent, just as you deny what has occurred of the promise regarding the Romans and mock it, so beware that what befell the former may befall you, then you will be returned to Him, glorified is He, and He will punish you with the greatest punishment, and it may be that this is a substitute for "the worst" or an explanation for it meaning that when they did wrong, their wrongdoing increased their blindness until they fell into blindness and reached the denial and mockery which is the ugliest of states, in contrast to what the believer is rewarded with, that he increases in guidance by his faith.