Waqeela linnasi hal antum mujtamiAAoon (surah Shuara: 39)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(26:39) and the people were asked, "Would you come to the gathering? *32

Wa qeela linnaasi hal antum mujtami`oon

*32) That is, besides proclamation heralds were sent to urge the people to come and see the contest. It appears that the news of the miracle shown by Prophet Moses before the packed court had reached the common people also, and Pharaoh fearing that the people at large might be influenced, wanted that they should come together in large numbers so that they could see for themselves that turning a staff into a snake had nothing extraordinary in it because such a trick could be performed by every common magician of their own country as well.