ثُمَّ لَنَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِهَا صِلِيًّا
Commentary:
In this verse ثم is a conjunction denoting order of enunciation and not proper order, meaning 'and'. The meaning of the word would be, and (We tell you another thing that…)
The words الذین ھم اولی بھا صلیا may mean:
(a) those who are more fitted to burn in the fire than to be left out of it;
(b) those who are more deserving than other people to burn in the fire;
(c) those who deserve to be punished more by being thrown into the fire than by any other means.
The reference in the verse is to the Christian nations who at other places in the Quran (18:95; 21:97) have been called یاجوج و ماجوج. They have been so called because they have made free use of firearms such as guns, tanks, atom-bombs etc., اج (fire) being the root from which both these names have been derived. As these nations have made free use of firearms, so shall they be punished with fire.
In this verse, thumma is a conjunction denoting order of enunciation and not proper order, meaning 'and.' The word would signify, 'and We tell you another thing that……'
The words may mean; (a) Those who are more fitted to burn in the fire than to be left out of it; (b) those who are more deserving than others to burn in the fire; (c) those who deserve to be punished more by being thrown into the fire than by any other means.