So when he saw them both being perceptive in matters, he said, indicating that he knows that and more subtle than it, so that they may accept his advice regarding what is the most important matter for everyone, which is what the servants were created for, to gather around Allah. This is to prepare them for understanding his words and accepting all that he conveys due to their need for his guidance. He affirmed what they described him with of goodness by following it with a description of himself with knowledge, seizing the opportunity for advice at this submission with the greatest of what advice can be given, which is the command to be sincere in the worship of the Creator and to turn away from polytheism. Therefore, every knowledgeable person, if someone needs to ask him, should present his answer as advice regarding what is most important to him, and he should describe himself with what encourages him to accept his knowledge if the situation requires that. And this should not be from the aspect of self-praise, but rather from the guidance to completion with what brings one closer to Allah, so that he may have a reward like his. 'No food will come to you' means in wakefulness. And he clarified that it is specific to them both and not to the people of the prison by saying, 'You will be provided with it,' which he based on the passive form, generalizing. 'Except I will inform you' means I informed you with a great and significant news, 'of its interpretation,' meaning by it and what its matter will return to. And when the statement was in all the time between him and the food that preceded it, he removed the conditional and said, 'Before the food comes to you,' meaning I informed you that such food will come to you, so it will be a cause for such. For indeed, the cause that arises from the cause is wealth.

And when he described himself with knowledge, which calls every person of ambition to strive for the means by which he attained that, so that he may become like him or come close to him, it was appropriate to say: What is your knowledge of that? He said, guiding to Allah, calling to Him with the best of calls that the souls incline towards, out of desire for virtue: ﴿That is﴾ meaning the great matter; and he indicated the abundance of his knowledge by the partiality in his saying: ﴿Of what my Lord has taught me﴾ meaning the One who created me, raised me, and bestowed goodness upon me. And I did not say it out of conjecture or astrology. It is as if it were said: What does anyone else know that is like what He has taught you? So he explained it, enticing everyone who acted like him in the grace of Allah, affirming the knowledge that this is a great matter that is fitting for one like him to do: ﴿Indeed, I have abandoned the religion of a people﴾ meaning even if they were strong in attempting what they desire, for that reason they were able to harm me and imprison me after witnessing the clear signs for me. And he pointed out that only one who does not consider the outcome in any way would proceed with that. So he said: ﴿They do not believe﴾ meaning they renew belief due to their deep-rootedness in disbelief,