“Rather, you are astonished while they ridicule. And when they are reminded, they pay no heed. When they see a sign, they mock it, and say, ‘This is nothing but obvious magic.’” (12–15)

“Rather, you are astonished”: Hamzah and al-Kisa’i recited it with the final t pronounced u, meaning, “Rather, I am astonished.” This was also the recitation of Ibn Mas‘ud and Ibn ‘Abbas. The amazement attributed to Allah, exalted is He, is not like the amazement of human beings, just as He says: “They ridicule them; Allah ridicules them” (Surah al-Tawbah, 79), and He says: “They forgot Allah, so He forgot them” (Surah al-Tawbah, 67).

Human amazement consists in finding something extraordinary and magnifying it. Amazement attributed to Allah Most High may signify condemnation and censure, or it may signify approval and pleasure, as related in the hadith: “Your Lord marvels at a young man who has no youthful folly.” (1)

Another hadith states: “Your Lord marvels at your asking, your despair, and how swiftly He answers you.” (2)

Al-Junayd was asked about this verse and replied: “Allah does not marvel at anything. Rather, Allah concurred with His Messenger when His Messenger was astonished, and said: ‘If you are astonished, then astonishing indeed is their saying’ (Surah al-Ra‘d, 5)—that is, it is as you say.”

The other reciters pronounced the final t with an a-vowel, addressing the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: that is, you are astonished at their denial of you, while they ridicule your astonishment.

Qatadah said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was astonished by this Quran when it was sent down, and by the misguidance of the children of Adam. (3) For the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had thought that everyone who heard the Quran would believe in it. But when the idolaters heard the Quran, they ridiculed it and did not believe in it. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was therefore astonished by this, so Allah Most High said: “Rather, you are astonished while they ridicule.”

“And when they are reminded, they pay no heed”: that is, when they are admonished through the Quran, they do not take admonition.

“When they see a sign”: Ibn ‘Abbas and Muqatil said that this refers to the splitting of the moon. “They mock it”: they ridicule and deride it. It was also said that they urge one another to ridicule it.

“And they say, ‘This is nothing but obvious magic’”: that is, clear magic. (4)