أَفَمِن هٰذَا الحَديثِ تَعجَبونَ

Will you then wonder at this discourse.

EXEGESIS

Ḥadīth (discourse) can mean that which has been said. Here it should be referring to what has been said in the previous verses regarding past nations and God informing people of their fate.^{‎[1]This is the view adopted in Mizan, 19/51. Tabrisi says this view is reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) (Tabrisi, 9/277).} Some have specified this to mean the Day of Judgement (as per the āzifah that was mentioned previously),^{‎[2]Razi, 29/287; Nemuneh, 22/575.} or have generalised it to mean the Quran as a whole,^{‎[3]Tabari, 27/48; Zamakhshari, 4/430; Qurtubi, 17/122.} and both these views are acceptable.^{‎[4]Nemuneh, 22/575.}

EXPOSITION

The address of the surah changes and the attention turns towards the Meccans. This is accompanied by a change in rhyme scheme for the final verses of the surah. Again, this serves to underline the message of the verses so that more attention is paid to them. They are asked if they truly find what was said to be amazing, or if it is for other reasons that they deny Muhammad’s (s) prophethood. The question is a rhetorical one, and it is because of their pride and lack of faith that they deny the message.

[1] This is the view adopted in Mizan, 19/51. Tabrisi says this view is reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) (Tabrisi, 9/277).
[2] Razi, 29/287; Nemuneh, 22/575.
[3] Tabari, 27/48; Zamakhshari, 4/430; Qurtubi, 17/122.
[4] Nemuneh, 22/575.