And when these admonitions reached their end, and their feet rose to the rank of the stars, the disbelievers of Quraysh did not clarify that from their deviation, nor did it lessen their denial and obstinacy. The state of their hearts was as if they were saying: We do not fear anything from this. The situation necessitated that it be said to them, as an obligation by the proof: "Are your disbelievers among you firmly established in disbelief, steadfast upon it, O you who deny this noble Prophet, concealing the suns of his religion?" Is it better in this world with strength and multitude, or is it religion with Allah or with people? "From those among you," meaning: the great disbelievers, the tyrants, the mighty ones, whom We admonished you about in this surah, so that this would be a reason for the separation of their state from them, and they would be safe from the punishment along with the total denial, even if they did not have a protection from Allah. "Or do you all have a protection from the punishment of Allah, excluding your disbelievers and non-disbelievers?" A protection from the punishment from Allah "in the scriptures," meaning: the books coming from Him. Do you feel secure from the punishment while they are better than you? The verse is from the intertwining: it first establishes the goodness as evidence for its omission second, and the protection second as evidence for its omission first.