Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:36

"They said: 'Delay him and his brother...'"

It is recited as arjiʾhu (with a hamza) and arjih (without a hamza); these are two dialects. It is said: arjaʾtuhu and arjaytuhu when you delay someone. From this comes the term al-Murjiʾah, who are those who do not pass definitive judgment regarding the threat of punishment for the corrupt, saying: "They are deferred (murjaʾūn) to the command of Allah."

The meaning is: Delay him and his debate until the time the magicians gather. It is also said: "Imprison him."

"{...gathering}" This is a condition: they will gather the magicians. They countered his [Pharaoh's] statement, "Indeed, this is a skilled magician," with their own: "with every skilled magician (sāḥḥār)." They used the word of encompassing (kull - every) and the form of hyperbole (sāḥḥār - highly skilled) to lower his [Moses'] status and calm some of his anxiety. Al-Aʿmash recited it as bi-kulli sāḥir (with every magician).

"{So the magicians were assembled for the appointment of a known day. And it was said to the people, 'Will you gather? That we might follow the magicians if they are the victors.}