Ad-Dukhan: (22) Then he called upon his Lord, saying...

(Then he called upon his Lord) after they persisted in belying him, peace be upon him, saying: (that these are a people who are criminals).

That is, "by saying" that these are, etc., with the ba being understood as connected to the verb "called," as one says, "He called out with this supplication." There is an abbreviation in the text, as if it were said: "These are criminals who have reached the extreme limit in disbelief, and You know them better, so do to them what they deserve."

It has been said that his supplication, peace be upon him, was: "O Allah, hasten for them what they deserve for their criminality." It has also been said that his statement was: (Our Lord, make us not a trial for the wrongdoing people) [Yunus: 85] up to His saying: (...they will not believe until they see the painful punishment) [Yunus: 88].

Allah, Glory be to Him, only mentioned the reason for which they deserved destruction so that both his supplication and the answer to it might be understood from it, and that his prayer against them was a result of despairing of their belief. This is among the eloquent abbreviations of the Inimitable Book.

Ibn Abi Ishaq, Isa, al-Hasan (in one narration), and Zayd ibn Ali recited inna (with a kasra on the hamza of anna). This is interpreted as implying a suppressed verb of speaking, meaning: "Saying, 'Indeed, these are...'"