According to this exegete, the term 'salawat' (blessings) mentioned in the verse means Allah's praise of His servant, commending and exalting him; mercy refers to blessings granted in this world and the next. It is noted that those meant by 'those who have attained guidance' may be those who have attained reward and paradise, or those who have adhered to the discipline of patience and trust that leads to this path. Furthermore, the verse shows that trials are not necessarily punishment, that when combined with patience they bring high degrees, that these afflictions come from Allah, and that they cannot be attributed to stars or other forces.

فاعلم أن الصلاة من الله هي : الثناء والمدح والتعظيم ، وأما رحمته فهي : النعم التي أنزلها به عاجلا ثم آجلا

According to this text, the verse conveys to those who are patient and who say 'inna lillah' in the face of affliction the blessings coming from Allah. Allah's blessing upon His servant is explained as His forgiveness, mercy, blessing, and honoring him in this world and the next. The repetition of the word mercy is done for emphasis and to fulfill the meaning (isha') when the wording differs; furthermore, it is related that Hz. Umar interpreted these expressions as 'two equivalents' (salat and mercy) and 'an addition' (guidance).

وكرر الرحمة لما اختلف اللفظ تأكيدا واشباعا للمعنى كما قال : من البينات والهدى

Ibn Kathir conveys that to those who are patient and say 'inna lillah', in addition to Allah's blessing and mercy, an extra gift (abundance) is given, which is explained by Hz. Umar's simile of 'abundance placed on top with two equal weights'. He then transmits the famous hadith that came through the narration of Ka'b b. Ujra on how to send blessings upon the Prophet ('Allahumma salli ala Muhammad...') and relates this to the exegesis of the verse.

نعم العدلان ونعمت العلاوة فهذان العدلان فهذه العلاوة وهي ما توضع بين العدلين وهي زيادة في الحمل فكذلك هؤلاء أعطوا ثوابهم وزيدوا أيضا

According to Baydawi, the address 'when an affliction befalls them' is either to the Prophet (peace be upon him) or to one who can convey the glad tidings. Affliction encompasses every kind of harm that befalls a person; patience and istirja must be not only with the tongue but also with the heart; a person should contemplate why he was created and that he will return to his Lord, should ease this for himself by thinking that the blessings Allah has left him are far greater than what has been taken from him, and should surrender to Allah. The plural form of the words blessing and mercy is to draw attention to their abundance and variety; those who have attained guidance are those who practice istirja and submit to Allah's decree.

وليس الصبر بالاسترجاع باللسان، بل به وبالقلب بأن يتصور ما خلق لأجله، وأنه راجع إلى ربه، ويتذكر نعم الله عليه ليرى أن ما أبقى عليه أضعاف ما استرده منه فيهون على نفسه، ويستسلم له.

According to this exegete, Allah commanded the Prophet to give glad tidings to those who are patient; the patient ones are those who restrain their souls from turning to things forbidden to them, fulfill their obligations, and when an affliction befalls them say 'inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un'. Furthermore, the word 'salawat' means forgiveness, and 'mercy' means Allah's pardoning and compassioning of sins, and these people are those who have found the right path.

وأصل التبشير: إخبار الرجل الرجل الخبر يسره أو يسوءه لم يسبقه به إليه غيره