Then they justified their glorification of Allah and their disdain for Pharaoh by saying: "Indeed, we have believed in our Lord," meaning the Benefactor to us throughout our lives despite our wrongdoing with disbelief and others. "So that He may forgive us" [with no benefit that He gains from the action or harm that He suffers from the abandonment -] (p-314) "our sins" which we faced Him with His kindness. Then they specified after the generality and said: "And what You compelled us to do" [and they clarified that by saying -]: "of magic" to oppose the miracle, for it was more complete for us to disobey you in it, as Allah is more deserving of being revered. It has been narrated that only two of the magicians were from the Copts, while the rest were from the Children of Israel whom Pharaoh compelled to learn magic. It has been narrated that they saw Moses, blessings and peace be upon him, sleeping and his staff guarding him, so they said to Pharaoh: 'When the magician sleeps, his magic becomes ineffective, and this one cannot be opposed.' But he refused them and compelled them to oppose him.

[And when the estimation was: 'Our Lord is the Lord of piety and the Lord of forgiveness,' they turned to Him, recalling His perfection -]: "And Allah" meaning the Gatherer of the attributes of perfection "is better" as a reward from You for what You promised us "and everlasting" as a reward and punishment. The apparent meaning is that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, saved them from Pharaoh, and this is supported by His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "You two and whoever follows you are the victorious" [Al-Qasas: 35] - Abu Hayyan said it. [And what is explicit in their salvation will come at the end of Al-Hadid -]