Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:38

"For a known day": The day of the festival (yawm al-zīnah).

"And its appointment": The time of the forenoon (ḍuḥā); because it is the time that Moses—peace be upon him—set for them from the day of the festival in his saying: "Your appointment is the day of the festival, and that the people be gathered at the forenoon" (Ṭā Hā: 59).

"The mīqāt (appointment)": That which is used to set a time, meaning: defined by time or place. From this are the mawāqīt (stations) of Iḥrām.

"Are you going to assemble?": This expresses impatience regarding their gathering. The intent behind it is to urge and hasten them, just as a man says to his servant: "Are you going to depart?" when he wants to stir him and urge him to leave, as if he is imagining to him that the people have already departed while he is still standing. From this is the saying of Taʾabbaṭa Sharran:

Will you send Dīnār for our need, Or ‘Abd Rabb, the brother of ‘Awn ibn Mikhrāq?

He means: Send him to us quickly and do not delay him.

"That we might follow the sorcerers": Meaning: in their religion, if they defeat Moses, and we do not follow Moses in his religion. Their goal was not [truly] to follow the sorcerers; rather, the overarching goal was that they should not follow Moses. Thus, they framed the speech in the form of a metonymy (kināyah), for if they followed them, they would not be following Moses—peace be upon him.

"So when the sorcerers came, they said to Pharaoh, 'Is there indeed a reward for us if we are the victors?' He said, 'Yes, and indeed, you will then be among those brought near.'"