Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:50

"No harm" (lā ḍayr): Al-ḍarr, al-ḍayr, and al-ḍawr all mean the same thing. They meant: "There is no harm upon us in that; rather, there is the greatest benefit for us in it." This is because of what we attain through patience for the sake of God: the expiation of sins, immense reward, and abundant compensation.

Alternatively, they meant: "There is no harm upon us in the killing with which you threaten us, for we must inevitably return to our Lord through one of the causes of death, and killing is the easiest and most hopeful of those causes."

Or, they meant: "There is no harm upon us in your killing us; for if you kill us, we return to our Lord as those who hope for His forgiveness and anticipate His mercy, due to the precedence in faith we have been granted."

The predicate of "No harm" (lā ḍayr) in the phrase "Indeed, we are to our Lord returning" is omitted. The meaning is: "There is no harm in that," or "No harm upon us."

"That we were" (an kunnā): The meaning is "because we were." They were the first group of believers among the people of their time, or among the subjects of Pharaoh, or among those present at the scene.

It is also recited as "If we were" (in kunnā), with a kasra. This is the conditional form used by one who is confident in his position and certain of its truth; they were certain that they were the first of the believers. A parallel is the saying of a worker to one who delays his payment: "If I have worked for you, then pay me my due." From this also is the Almighty’s saying: "If you have come out for struggle in My way and seeking My pleasure" (Al-Mumtahanah: 1), despite His knowledge that they had come out for nothing else.

"And We inspired to Moses, 'Travel by night with My servants; indeed, you will be pursued.' Then Pharaoh sent among the cities gatherers, [Saying], 'Indeed, those are but a small band, And indeed, they are enraging us, And indeed, we are a cautious, assembled host.'"