And when He, the Exalted, mentioned the dispute of those whom Allah guided by Him, He mentioned what comes from the pouring forth of the one who taught Quraysh to ask the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, about the matters that they have no way to, nor can they find evidence in it from the signs of Prophethood. So He, the Exalted, said: "They will say" meaning the people of the Book and those who agree with them in delving into that after their acknowledgment of what I have narrated to you of their news with a promise that there is no contradiction in it: they are "three" individuals, "the fourth of them is their dog." And they have no knowledge of that, and for this reason, He omitted the conjunction, indicating that they are not three and that the dog is not the fourth. "And they will say" meaning they will also say: "five, the sixth of them is their dog."

And when their saying changed, His saying, the Exalted, became very good: "A conjecture by the unseen" meaning a throwing by the matter that is hidden from them, which they have no knowledge of in any way. "And they will say" also indicates that they have no knowledge of that: "seven, and the eighth of them is their dog." And the delay of this from the conjecture - even if it is a supposition - indicates that it is true, and this is supported by the conjunction that enters upon the clause that is a description of the indefinite noun, just as the conjunction enters upon the definite noun in the saying: "Except that it has a known record." [Al-Hijr: 4] For its benefit is to confirm the attachment of the description to the described, and the indication that the attribute of the described is a matter that is established and stable. So this conjunction indicates that the people of this saying said it based on established knowledge and a tranquil soul, and they did not conjecture. In the clarification of a precious saying about following the description sometimes with a conjunction and sometimes without it.

So when it became clear like the sun that they have no knowledge of that, it was as if it was said: What should be said to them? And it was said: "Say, my Lord" meaning the One who is gracious to me by informing me of their matter and others. "I know their number" [meaning] that which has no increase or decrease. So it was as if it was said: It has been understood from the wording of "I know" that there are among the creation those who know their matter, and it was said: "No one knows them except a few" meaning from the creation, and this supports that they are the people of the predominant saying, which is the saying of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, and he used to say: I am among that few.

"So" meaning it resulted from that that He said to you in a decisive manner that falls under the prohibition of following what you have no knowledge of: "Do not" meaning do not argue or dispute "with them" anyone who speaks of other than what I have informed you of "except for an obvious dispute" its evidence, which is what I have revealed to you. And do not act like them in conjecturing about the unseen. "And do not ask" meaning do not ask a question that is beneficial "about them" meaning the people of the Cave "from them" meaning from those who claim knowledge from the Children of Israel or others "anyone."