﴿ لَعَلَّنَا نَتَّبِعُ ٱلسَّحَرَةَ إِن كَانُوا۟ هُمُ ٱلْغَٰلِبِينَ ﴾

“so that we might follow [in the footsteps of] the sorcerers if it is they who prevail?””

Maybe we will follow the sorcerers should they be the victors’ the interrogative of the previous verse is an incitement to assemble and the optative sense implicit in la‘alla is due to their anticipation of victory and hence their continued adherence to their religion and rejection of Moses.