His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And We sent him to a hundred thousand or more." "So they believed, and We provided for them until a time." "Ask them, are there daughters for your Lord while they have sons?" "Or did We create the angels as females while they were witnesses?" "Indeed, they are saying from their lies, 'Allah has begotten,' and indeed, they are liars." "Has He chosen daughters over sons?" "What is wrong with you? How do you judge?" "Will you not remember?" "Or do you have a clear authority?" "Then bring your book if you are truthful."

The majority said: This message to a hundred thousand is in his first message, which he fled after. Allah mentioned it at the end of the story as a reminder of his message. This is indicated by His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "So they believed, and We provided for them until a time." And the provision of that nation is what angered Yunus, peace be upon him, until he fled. Qatadah and Ibn Abbas also said: This message is another after he was abandoned in the open, and it is to the people of Nineveh from the direction of Mosul.

Ja'far ibn Muhammad, may Allah be pleased with him, read: "and more" with the conjunction, while the majority read: "or more." Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "or" means (rather), and they were one hundred thousand and thirty thousand. Ubayy ibn Ka'b narrated from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "They were one hundred and twenty thousand." Ibn Jubair said: They were one hundred and seventy thousand. It was narrated from Ibn Abbas that he read: "but more." A group said: "or" here means the conjunction. Another group said: It is for ambiguity to the addressee, as you say: "What is it to you? I will give so-and-so a dinar or a thousand dinars," and similar is His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "You have no authority in the matter, or He may turn to them or punish them, for indeed, they are wrongdoers." [Aal 'Imran: 128] This meaning is rarely established in His saying, glorified is He: "or more." Al-Mubarrad and many of the Basri scholars said: The meaning is according to human observation and their caution, meaning: Whoever saw them said: They are a hundred thousand or more.

It has been narrated regarding His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "So they believed, and We provided for them until a time," that they went out with children and the offspring of animals, and they separated them from their mothers, and they wailed and cried out sincerely, so Allah lifted from them. The provision here is with life, and the time refers to their previous appointed terms in eternity, as said by Qatadah and Al-Suddi. Ibn Abi Abilah read: [until a time]. In His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "So they believed, and We provided for them until a time," is an example for Quraysh: that if they believe, they will be safe as happened to these. From here, it is appropriate to transition the speech and dialogue to them with His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Then ask them," for their pronoun returns to what is in meaning from mentioning them.

And "asking" is questioning, and it is here in the meaning of reprimand and rebuke regarding their words against Allah, the falsehood and their attributing daughters to Allah, exalted and majestic is He. And He commanded him to stop them regarding the aspect of rebuke as well, asking whether they witnessed that the angels are females, so it is valid for them to say this.

Then He informed, exalted and majestic is He, about a group among them who reached such falsehood and lies that they said: Allah has begotten the angels because He married among the nobles of the jinn. And this is a group from Banu Mudlij as has been narrated.

And the majority read: ﴿He chose﴾ with a cutting alif, which is for questioning. This is in the context of confirming and reproaching them for attributing to Him the choice of the lesser in their view. Nafi' read in the narration of Ismail: [He chose] with the alif connected in the news, as if he is recounting their heinous words. Ismail narrated it from Abu Ja'far and Shaibah.

Then he confirmed and reproached and presented for reflection and consideration. He asked about the proof and evidence in the context of confirming and their claim of support with a book or a matter that shows their truthfulness. The majority read: "You remember" with a heavy dhāl and kāf. Talhah ibn Musarif read with a silent dhāl and a lightly pronounced kāf.