'And ask the town,' meaning its people and its walls, if it could speak, 'which we were in,' and it is Egypt, about what We have informed you of; they will inform you of our truthfulness. For the matter has become well-known among them. 'And ask the caravan,' meaning its companions, and they are a people from Canaan, neighbors of Jacob, blessings and peace be upon him, 'which we approached in it.' And the question is: the request for information by means of the interrogative particle 'hamzah' and 'hal' and similar ones. And the town is: the land that gathers with separating boundaries. Its root is from 'qaraytu al-ma'a,' meaning I gathered it. The explanation of its term will come at the end of the surah. And the caravan is: a group of donkeys, from 'al-'ir' - with a fatha - which is the donkey, this is the original meaning, as previously mentioned, then it became widely used even for other animals. And when this was worthy of denial regarding what is established of the generosity of their brother, they affirmed it with their saying: 'And indeed, by Allah, we are truthful.' So it was as if it was said: they returned to their father and said what their elder had said to them.