ثُمَّ لَنَنزِعَنَّ مِن كُلِّ شِيعَةٍ أَيُّهُمْ أَشَدُّ عَلَى ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ عِتِيًّا
Important Words:
ثم meaning then, i.e. afterward or afterwards, is a particle or conjunction denoting order and delay. Sometimes it is used to denote the order of enunciation, not the virtual order. It also has the meaning of و (and) and ف (so) (Lane).
In the present verse ثم shows order i.e. this thing will happen after the thing that has been mentioned before. Some commentators of the Quran think that this verse can be explained by reading it as: ثم لننزعن من کل شیعة الذین یقال فیھم ایھم اشد علی الرحمان عتیاً i.e. then shall We certainly pick out from every group those about whom it will be said that they were most stubborn in rebellion against the Gracious God. Others are of the view that the expression ایھم اشد علی الرحمان عتیا is an independent and separate sentence and forms an answer to the words من ھم (who are they) which are understood before this sentence, and means, "they are those who were most stubborn in rebellion against the Gracious God. The words علی الرحمان mean against or in opposition to the Gracious God.
Thumma meaning, then, i.e. afterwards, is a particle or conjunction denoting order and delay. Sometimes it is used to denote the order of enunciation, not the virtual order. It also has the meaning of 'and' and 'so' (Lane).