And when the decree was: the disbelievers turned away from the sign of his splitting and said: 'It is magic,' while they knew that it was certainly a clear indication of the truthfulness of the one who split to confirm him. He then informed them of their condition in the future, as a warning to those who seek from the believers a response to one of their proposals in hopes of their belief. So he said: 'And if they see' - meaning in what is to come - 'a sign' - any sign that may be - 'they will turn away' - meaning: from benefiting from it, just as they turned away from this when they saw it. And some of them said: 'Delay until the envoys come, for if they say: they saw as you saw, then it is not magic, for Muhammad cannot enchant all the people of the earth.' So the envoys came and testified to having seen him split, and despite that, they did not believe. 'And they say' - meaning: in a manner of renewal from them and continuity - 'This is magic' - meaning: what this man brings us is from the valley of imagination, which has no reality, and it is 'continuing' - meaning: because it has surpassed magic in that it does not reveal itself immediately, for it is precise, established, and permanent in its comprehensiveness and encompassing of all types. And for that reason, it produces the utmost of diverse miraculous events.