They decided to turn away from the warning of the one who warns and the awakening of the one who awakens: that Allah renews for them the reminder from time to time, and brings forth to them verse after verse and surah after surah, to repeat the warning and the admonition in their ears so that perhaps they may take heed. Yet, the recitation of the verses and surahs and what they contain of various admonitions and insights—which are the truest truth and the most serious matter—only increases them in playfulness, distraction, and mockery. And the reminder is the portion that has descended from the Qur'an.

Ibn Abi 'Abla read مُحْدَثٍ with a nominative case as an adjective in its place. The saying وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ لاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ are two states that are synonymous or intertwined. And whoever read لاهِيَةً in the nominative, the state is one, because لاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ is a news after news, due to the saying وَهُمْ, and لاهِيَة: is from لها عنه if he was distracted and heedless. This means that even if they were aware, their awareness is of little benefit, as if they were not aware at all. They remained in the height of their heedlessness and distraction from reflection and contemplation with their hearts. If you say: The secret conversation, which is a name from the act of conversing secretly, cannot be anything but hidden, what is the meaning of the saying وَأَسَرُّوا? I say: Its meaning is: And they exaggerated in concealing it. Or they made it such that no one would notice their secret conversations nor know that they were conversing secretly. The phrase الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا was replaced with واو and أَسَرُّوا, indicating that they are marked with gross injustice in what they concealed. Or it came in the language of one who said, 'Eat me the fleas,' or it is in the accusative case as a form of blame. Or it is a subject with its predicate being وَأَسَرُّوا النَّجْوَى, which is placed before it: and the meaning is: And these people concealed the secret conversation.

So, the explicit was placed in place of the implicit as a record of their action that it was injustice. Is this anything but a human like you? Will you come to magic while you see? This entire speech is in the accusative case as a substitute for the secret conversation, meaning: And they concealed this speech. And it is permissible that it relates to the saying implicitly: They believed that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, could only be an angel, and that anyone who claimed prophethood from among humans and came with a miracle is a magician, and his miracle is magic. Therefore, they said in denial: Will you attend magic while you witness and observe that it is magic? If you say: Why did they conceal this speech and exaggerate in hiding it? I say: That was like a kind of consultation among themselves, and a discussion in seeking the way to undermine his matter, and the actions intended to discourage from him. And the habit of those who consult in matters is not to share their enemies in their consultation, and to strive to conceal their secret from them as much as possible. From this is the saying of people: 'Seek help for your needs through secrecy,' and it is attributed to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him.

And it is permissible that they concealed their secret conversation with that, then said to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and the believers: If what you claim is true, then inform us of what we have concealed.