and was followed by al-Ṣaghānī, who both said: You say, "That was in such and such a year and so on," meaning up to today. This concludes. It is clear that what was said in the "Qāmūs" does not apply in this context. Jamal ibn Hisham hesitated in considering this construction to be purely Arabic, and he outlined the reasons for his hesitation in a treatise. He responded to its mention in authoritative texts and similar sources, and he discussed the scholars' views on its grammatical structure and meaning, as well as the objections raised against it. Then he said: "Let us mention what has become apparent to us regarding the interpretation of this expression, assuming it to be Arabic, by saying: (Halam) is the restricted form meaning 'come' and 'approach,' except that it involves two figurative uses: one is that the intended meaning of 'coming' here is not physical arrival but rather persistence in walking and continuity in it, as you would say: 'Continue [on this matter, and proceed] in this manner,' and from it is the saying of Allāh: 'And the leaders among them went forth saying, "Continue and be patient with your gods."'