And when they did not pay attention to this speech from them, but rather it was considered as nothing, because there was no benefit in it, it was indicated to turn away from it because it does not deserve a response, as it was said: "Perhaps a saying's response is in silence." By His saying: ﴿And it was said﴾, meaning: secondly to the followers, mockingly towards them and showing their incapacity, which is necessitated by their regret and great sorrow. He expressed it in the passive form, showing disdain for them, and that they are in such humiliation and degradation that they respond to every matter, whoever it may be: ﴿Call upon﴾, meaning: all of you ﴿your partners﴾, meaning: those whom you claimed, in ignorance, to be partners with Allah to repel harm from you. And He added them here to themselves, indicating that they did not benefit from their claim that they are partners of Allah - exalted is Allah far above that - except that they associated them in what they directed towards them of their wealth, words, times, and conditions. ﴿So call upon them﴾, relying on what does not suffice, and holding on to what is certain to be of no avail, due to the overwhelming dominance and the state of confusion and astonishment. ﴿So they did not respond to them﴾, as is right for them, given their description of lack of perception, incapacity, and destruction. ﴿And they saw﴾, meaning: all of them ﴿the punishment﴾, knowing that it is about to befall them, with no barrier against it. So the situation at that time necessitated that it be said by everyone who sees them: ﴿If only they were﴾, meaning: being is for them a firmly established attribute ﴿guided﴾, meaning: guidance would occur from them for an hour of time, regretting their matter, and wishing for their salvation, or if that were in their nature, they would have been saved from the punishment, or they would not have seen it at all, or they would not have followed them.