So when he, peace be upon him, denied what was clearly different from what he brought in establishing things and between it and magic, because magic has no permanence at all, they turned away from his response to informing that they do not acknowledge his truthfulness, because that would require them to abandon what they are upon of arrogance, and they do not abandon it. They deceived the weak by suggesting that his intention, peace be upon him, was arrogance, justifying their arrogance in not following him by indicating that their only barrier to him was pride. So Allah, the Most High, said, recounting their words: "They said," meaning: denying him and justifying with two matters: imitation and eagerness for leadership.

And since he was the origin of the message, and his brother was a follower, they unified the pronoun and said: "Did you come to us," meaning: you, O Musa, "to turn us away" meaning: to kill us and divert us "from what we found our fathers upon." And they said, relying on imitation, not ashamed to abandon the evidence: "Our forefathers" from the worship of idols and the claim of nature, so let us say we are with that. "And you will have" meaning: for you and your brother [without us] "greatness" meaning: in kingship "in the land" meaning: the land of Egypt, which, due to its benefits, is as if it is the whole earth. And they also said: what "we are for you both" and they exaggerated in denial, and astonishment overcame them, so they expressed in a way that indicated that they were overwhelmed by the matter, and they recognized that it was true but did not submit. They said: "Believers" meaning: deeply rooted in faith, so it is an addition to "Did you come to us," meaning: they said that and they said this, or it could be an addition to the meaning of: so we are not going to connect you to this purpose. They first singled him out with denial of his coming to weaken him and to stop his brother from assisting him, and they associated him with them secondly to emphasize that purpose and cut off his ambition; and the sending is the release in a matter that proceeds in it, and it is contrary to the release from a restraint; and the assembly is the group who are the leaders of the tribe, because their awe fills the hearts upon their sight; and arrogance is the seeking of pride without deserving it; and the criminal is one who has committed a major sin, from the root of 'jarama' - if he cuts it, for the crime necessitates cutting off goodness from its owner; and magic is the illusion of a miracle by means of trickery, and it is likened to eloquence in the concealment of the cause; and the truth is what must be praised and the call of wisdom is intensified towards it, and its benefit is great while harm is incurred by abandoning it; and greatness is the deserving of the attribute of pride in the highest ranks, and it is an attribute of praise for Allah and blame for the servants because it contradicts the attribute of servitude.