Al-Ba'sa and al-Dharra: misery and harm. It was said that al-Ba'sa is drought and hunger. Al-Dharra is illness and the decrease of wealth and lives. The meaning is: And indeed, We sent to them messengers, but they denied them. So We seized them, perhaps they might humble themselves and submit to their Lord, and repent from their sins. So if only when Our punishment came to them, they had humbled themselves. The meaning is: it negates their humility, as if it were said: But they did not humble themselves when Our punishment came to them. However, it was mentioned with 'if only' to indicate that they had no excuse for leaving humility except their stubbornness and the hardness of their hearts, and their pride in their deeds which Satan had adorned for them. So when they forgot what they had been reminded of regarding al-Ba'sa and al-Dharra: that is, they left taking admonition from it, and it did not benefit them nor deter them, We opened upon them the doors of everything, of health and abundance and various blessings, to combine upon them between the two states of al-Dharra and al-Sarra, just as a compassionate father does with his child, sometimes being stern and sometimes being gentle, seeking his improvement. Until when they rejoiced in what they were given of good and blessings, they did not increase except in joy and arrogance, without any inclination to thank or any intention to repent and excuse themselves. We seized them suddenly, and then they were in despair, silent, regretful, hopeless. So the end of the people was cut off; none of them was left, their root was completely eradicated. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, indicating the obligation of praise upon the destruction of the oppressors. It was said: 'Praise' here indicates the obligation of praise upon the destruction... and the like. And a similar verse is His saying: 'And We rained upon them a rain, and how evil was the rain of the warned.' Say: 'Praise be to Allah, and peace be upon His chosen servants.' Among those who paused here made the praise upon the destruction of those mentioned earlier from the tyrants. And some paused at 'the warned' and connected the praise to what follows it of establishing the proofs of the oneness of Allah, and that He, glorified and exalted is He, is better than what they associate with Him. So in the first case, praise is obligatory, and in the second, it is an introduction. It is used in both cases legally, but in the verse of the ant, it is more apparent as an introduction to what follows, and in the verse of the cattle, it is a conclusion to what preceded, as the context does not imply otherwise, and Allah knows best.