And when the intended meaning of the admonishers is the obedience that is the cause of salvation, therefore he said, mentioning the blessings, expressing it with the utmost intention of it, defining that His vengeance is justice and His forgiveness is grace. This is because no one is able to repay His blessings or even one of them. He explains the salvation: ﴿A blessing from Us﴾ meaning: a great and truly extraordinary one for their gratitude. And when it was as if it was said: Is this specific to them... the salvation from among the wrongdoers, and it is specific to them, he answered with his saying: ﴿Thus﴾ meaning: like this great salvation which We made as a reward for them ﴿We reward﴾ by Our power and greatness ﴿Whoever is grateful﴾ meaning: who establishes gratitude in all its forms, so he believed and obeyed, not... by commanding what is right and forbidding what is wrong, regardless of who it may be, whether from the common people or a tyrannical ruler, brave or cowardly. For indeed, We are upon him with salvation after the destruction of his enemy. Al-Qushayri said: And gratitude for the blessings of prevention is more complete than gratitude for the blessings of benefit, and only every successful and wise person knows this. The verse is from the intertwining: he mentioned the blessings first - because it is the true cause - as evidence for its omission second, and gratitude second - because it is the apparent cause - as evidence for its omission first.