And when the decree was: they will return [from] their wrongdoing, for they are wrongdoers, he added to it [his saying]: "And who is more unjust" than them. Thus was the original, but he made apparent the description that they became more unjust, and he said: "from whom was reminded" meaning from any reminder that was given. He directed the saying towards the attribute of goodness as an appeal and a reminder of the obligation of gratitude, and he said: "by the signs of their Lord" meaning that there is no blessing with Him except from Him.

And when these verses reached the utmost clarity, it was unlikely that there would be disregard for them afterward. He expressed this with a tool of distance, thus he said: "Then he turned away from them," contrary to what those who could not restrain themselves did, as they fell down in prostration. It is permissible - and it is better - that "then" is used in its original meaning for delay, so that the meaning is that whoever was reminded by it at some time, and then began to reflect upon it, then turned away from it afterward, even if it were a thousand years later, he is the most unjust of the unjust. And it includes those who are less than that, as it is more deserving of not being forgotten. Thus, it is more eloquent than expressing it with "for" as in Surah Al-Kahf. And the transition to "for" there is an explanation of what may occur from their condition when clarifying their question, which they made its clarification a sign of truth and the inability to present a sign of falsehood.

And when the situation necessitated questioning about their punishment, and [he] had specified the pronoun considering the word "who" as a reminder of the ugliness of wrongdoing from every individual, he said, gathering that the humiliation of the group indicates the humiliation of the individual by the greater reason. Confirming that their advance towards denial is like the denial of having transgressed against Him, diverting the focus of the speech from the attribute of goodness as an indication of anger: "Indeed, we" from them. Thus was the original, but he made the description explicit in a general sense, and linking the ruling to it, specifying the type of their wrongdoing to make it more abhorrent, and he said: "from the criminals" meaning those who sever what deserves connection, especially "seeking vengeance." And he expressed it in the form of greatness as a reminder that what befalls them from punishment does not fall under the description merely by the count among the wrongdoers. So how could it be, when they were the most unjust of the unjust? And the nominal sentence indicates the permanence of that upon them in this world, either hidden by being led astray by blessings, or apparent by the infliction of calamities, and in the Hereafter by the permanence of punishment throughout the ages.