Tafseer of The Announcement · An-Naba · 78:1
About what are they asking one another?
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.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ "About what do they question one another?" (78:1)
He, exalted is His mention, says: About what do these polytheists of the Quraysh, who disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger, question one another, O Muḥammad? This was said to him ﷺ, and that was because the Quraysh — according to what has been related concerning them — began to dispute and argue among themselves about that to which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had called them: the acknowledgment of his prophethood, the affirmation of the truth of what he had brought from Allah, and the belief in the resurrection. So Allah said to His Prophet: About what do these people question one another, and about what do they dispute? And "fī" and "ʿan" have the same meaning in this place.
* Mention of who said this:
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ ibn al-Jarrāḥ related to us, on the authority of Misʿar, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Jaḥāda, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, who said: When the Prophet ﷺ was sent, they began to question one another among themselves, whereupon Allah sent down: عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ * عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ "About what do they question one another? About the tremendous tidings" (78:1-2), that is to say: the tremendous news.
