are alone with (ma'a) their devils," since the prepositions of attributes alternate with one another (1), just as God said, informing about Jesus the son of Mary that he said to the disciples: {Who are my supporters to (ila) God?} [Surat al-Saff: 14], meaning: with (ma'a) God. And just as "upon ('ala)" is placed in the position of "from (min)," and "in (fi)," and "about ('an)," and "with (bi)," as the poet said:

When the Banu Qushayr are pleased upon ('alayya) me ... By the life of God, their pleasure amazes me (2)

Meaning: with me ('anni).

As for some of the grammarians of the people of Kufa, he used to interpret that as meaning: And when they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe," and when they direct their privacy to (ila) their devils—so he claims that what brings "to (ila)" is the meaning indicated by the speech: from the turning away of the hypocrites from meeting the believers to their devils, being alone with them, not his statement "they were alone (khalaw)." And according to this interpretation, nothing else is suitable in the place of "to (ila)," because the speech would change by the entry of other particles in its place.

And this view, in my opinion, is closer to being correct, because every particle among the particles of meaning has a facet for which it is more suitable than others (3), so it is not proper to shift that from it to another except with a proof that must be submitted to. And "to (ila)" in every place it enters in speech has a ruling, and it is not permissible to strip it of its meanings in their places.

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