Tafseer of Those drawn up in Ranks · As-Saaffaat · 37:14
And when they see a sign, they ridicule
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
…about Me, and their arrogant claim of attributing a partner to Me, and their denial of My sending down, while they mock. Most of the reciters of Medina and Basra and some of the reciters of Kūfa read this بَلْ عَجِبْتَ ("Nay, you marveled") with a vocalized tāʾ (fatḥa), in the meaning: "Nay, you marveled, O Muḥammad," while they mock at this Qurʾān.
The correct position regarding this is to say: these are two recitation modes well known among the reciters of the regions, so with whichever of the two the reciter recites, he has hit upon what is correct.
If someone were to say: "How can the reciter be correct with both, when their two meanings differ from each other?", then the answer is: even though their two meanings differ, nevertheless each of the two meanings is correct. Muḥammad marveled at the favor that Allah bestowed upon him, and the people who attribute partners to Allah (the people of shirk) mocked him; and our Lord marveled at the enormous things that the polytheists (mushrikīn) said about Allah, and the polytheists mocked at what they said.
If he were to say: "Was the sending down according to one of the two or according to both?", then the answer is: the sending down was according to both. If he were to say: "And how can a word be sent down twice?", then the answer is: it was not sent down twice; it was only sent down once, but he ﷺ was commanded to recite with both recitation modes. For this there is another place where we, if Allah wills, shall treat the exposition of this sufficiently.
And something corresponding to what we have said about this, the exegetes of the Qurʾān (ahl al-taʾwīl) have said.
* Mention of those who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning بَلْ عَجِبْتَ وَيَسْخَرُونَ ("Nay, you marveled, while they mock"), he said: Muḥammad ﵊ marveled at this Qurʾān when it was bestowed upon him, and the people of error mocked him.
Statement concerning the exposition of His words, the Exalted: ﴿وَإِذَا ذُكِّرُوا لا يَذْكُرُونَ (١٣) وَإِذَا رَأَوْا آيَةً يَسْتَسْخِرُونَ (١٤)﴾ ("And when they are reminded, they take no heed of the reminder (13). And when they see a sign, they exuberantly mock at it (14)").
He, exalted is His mention, says: and when these polytheists are reminded of Allah's proofs against them, so that they might take a lesson from them and reflect and thus turn to obedience to Allah, لا يَذْكرُون ("they take no heed"): he says: they derive no benefit from the reminder such that they would take it to heart.
