"When the most exemplary of them in way says," meaning: the most intelligent among them.
Muhammad [Ibn Abi Zamanin] said: He means: the most intelligent of them in his own estimation, and the most knowledgeable about what he is saying. "You stayed" means: You did not stay "except a day." Qatadah said: These are various instances; they said "except ten [days]," and "except a day," and they said: "We stayed but a day or part of a day." He also said: "And on the Day the Hour is established the criminals will swear"—the criminals will take an oath—"they had not remained [in the world] but an hour." This means: in the world, and that is due to the triviality of the world in their eyes and its insignificance compared to the duration of the Hereafter.
Surah Taha from (verse 105 to verse 113).
﴿إِذْ يَقُول أمثلهم طَريقَة﴾ أَيْ: أَعْقَلُهُمْ.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: يَعْنِي: أَعْقَلَهُمْ عِنْدَ نَفْسِهِ، وَأَعْلَمَهُمْ بِمَا يَقُول. ﴿إِن لبثتم﴾ أَيْ: مَا لَبِثْتُمْ ﴿إِلا يَوْمًا﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: هِيَ مَوَاطِنُ، قَالُوا إِلَّا عَشْرًا، وَإِلَّا يَوْمًا، وَقَالُوا: ﴿لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ﴾ وَقَالَ: ﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُقْسِمُ المجرمون﴾ يَحْلِفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ﴿مَا لَبِثُوا غَيْرَ سَاعَة﴾ أَيْ: فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَذَلِكَ لِتَصَاغُرِ الدُّنْيَا عِنْدَهُمْ، وَقَلِّتِهَا فِي طُولِ الْآخِرَة.
سُورَة طه من (آيَة ١٠٥ آيَة ١١٣).
