What you have brought is a relative pronoun that serves as the subject. And magic is the predicate, meaning what you have brought is magic. [Mahamud said: "What is a relative pronoun serving as the subject, and magic is the predicate, meaning what you have brought... etc."] Ahmad said: And the intention in the first reading is not to report that what they brought is specifically magic, but rather to purify what they brought from being magic. This is inferred from what is in this specific arrangement indicating exclusivity. If the thought of Imam Abu al-Maali regarding the prohibition of takbeer had crossed his mind, he would not have refrained from citing it as evidence for this arrangement indicating exclusivity. We know that when Musa, peace be upon him, stated it, he intended to attribute magic to what they brought, confined within it, so that nothing from the truth he brought could be included. As for the second reading, in it— and Allah knows best— there is guidance indicating that Musa's, peace be upon him, initial statement, 'Do you say to the truth when it has come to you, is it magic?' is a recounting of their words, and this 'is it magic?' is what they said. This does not contradict Allah's narration about them that they said, 'Indeed, this is clear magic,' either because they said both things: they began with the question as a way of mocking the truth and ridiculing its being true, and mocking the truth is a denial of it. Rather, the question in some instances might be more definitive than the report. Do you not see that they say in the statement: 'Are you or Salim?' it is more decisive than saying: 'Are you informing us or Salim?' Then they followed with a specific statement of denial and the claim that it is magic, saying: 'Indeed, this is clear magic.' So Allah, the Exalted, narrated this second statement about them, and Musa reproached them for their first statement. The meaning of the two statements and their implications is one. Or it may be that they said nothing other than 'is it magic?' in a manner of denial as previously mentioned, and Allah narrated it about them in its implications, for He knows that their intention in the question was denial and the statement that it is magic. Musa, peace be upon him, recounted their words verbatim, and did not convey it in another expression. The narration of the stories recited in the Noble Book in different forms has no other purpose than that they are meanings translated into the Arabic language, which are translated with synonymous words of equal meanings. The essence of this discussion is that Musa's, peace be upon him, statement 'Do you say to the truth when it has come to you, is it magic?' is merely a recounting of their words, and this is indicated by the fact that he responded to them when they brought magic with a similar statement, asking: 'What you have brought is it magic?' in the reading of the question as a loan with equivalence in both. What confirms to you that the question and the report in such a meaning have the same outcome is that Allah, the Exalted, narrated Musa's statement 'What you have brought is magic' in both forms: the report and the question, as required by the two readings, which is one statement indicating that the outcome of both is the same due to the truth of the report. And indeed, Al-Zamakhshari was led to interpret the statement as a reproach, or to imply a direct object 'you say.' This was due to the difficulty of the question being narrated in the speech, while the first narration about them was a report. We have clarified that there is no contradiction or conflict between the two matters, so this section strengthens the bond of adherence, for it is one of the subtle points. And Allah is the Grantor of success.