And when He criticized them for their evil deeds, He guided them to what they would be praised for due to their goodness, saying: ﴿And if only they﴾ meaning: the caller and the one who is pleased ﴿were patient﴾ meaning: they restrained themselves and prevented themselves from calling to them. Patience is the restraint of the soul from being drawn to its desires, and it is a restraint that involves intensity. Patience about such matters has an omitted verb due to its frequent occurrence, meaning: his soul ﴿until it departs﴾ from the encounter with your soul at the time of what you are engaged in, of the matters that concern you from the incoming truths and the interests of creation. And since the departure may be towards other interests, it is not appropriate in etiquette to cut that off, He said: ﴿to them﴾ meaning: they should not speak to you until you finish for them and direct yourself to them, for you will not do [anything] at a time other than its due time according to the requirements of the message. ﴿It would have been﴾ meaning: patience.

And when the Arabs are people of high standards, they are such that they do not accept anything but the best, He said: ﴿better for them﴾ meaning: than their hastening to awaken you at the time of the heat of the day, and if they had knocked on the door with their nails as others among the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, used to do. This is on the assumption that what they thought contained good, and they were rational. So, in expressing that with fairness, rather with overlooking and kindness, it is a push for them [towards] high standards, and guidance to what they take pride in from the virtues. Al-Razi said: Abu Othman said: Etiquette with the elders elevates the one who possesses it to high ranks and goodness in this world and the Hereafter. It has ended. And the virtue of patience in religion is well-known, and as for in this world, if they had been well-mannered with their Lord, the Prophet ﷺ would have increased them in virtue, freeing all their captives and increasing them. The verse indicates the omission of the reasoning for the lack of patience first due to what was indicated second, and the reasoning second, due to what was indicated by mentioning it first.

And when He mentioned the estimation as a means of educating us and training us on overlooking the ignorant and excusing him and teaching him: But they did not exercise patience and they behaved poorly, so that was evil for them, and Allah is All-Knowing of what they did, Forbearing since He did not hasten them with punishment for their ill manners towards His Messenger ﷺ. He inclined towards them with a plea for them along with making clear the warning: ﴿And Allah﴾ meaning: the One who encompasses the attributes of perfection ﴿is Forgiving﴾ meaning: He conceals the sin of whoever repents from his ignorance ﴿and Merciful﴾ treating him with the treatment of the merciful, showering him with His blessings. And when they repented, Allah reproached them for their harshness towards the best of His creation for making them the harshest of people towards the worst of people: the Dajjal; "For the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Indeed, they are the harshest of people towards him.'"