It is Meccan, and it is called Surah An-Naba, and it has forty or forty-one verses. It was revealed after Al-Ma'arij. 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.'

'About what are they asking one another?' Its origin is 'about what,' as it is a preposition that has entered upon the interrogative 'what.' This is in the reading of Ikrimah and Isa ibn Umar. Hassan may Allah be pleased with him said:

'On what basis does the lowly one insult me... like a pig rolling in the ashes.'

And he received it as it was in it... from the slips or the foolishness of the heart.

The forehead of error is not hidden from him... and he is far from the flood of guidance.

This is attributed to Hassan ibn Al-Mundhir. It was said: Ibn Thabit, he is mocking one of the Banu Aidh ibn Amr ibn Makhzum. The interrogative 'what' is for denial, and it was right for the alif to be omitted due to the entrance of the preposition upon it. Its presence is rare, meaning: 'about what does the lowly one insult me, like the pig rolling in the ashes due to its humiliation?' It is narrated: 'in blood like ashes' in weight and meaning. Or in the meaning of 'dhamna,' which is the refuse mixed with dung. Perhaps Ibn Thabit is different, otherwise the poem of Ibn Al-Mundhir is a daliah, not a nuniah. And 'the foolishness' is stupidity and folly. And 'the heart' refers to the intellect and mind, meaning: 'and he received it with what was established in it of flaws, which is not hidden from him the evident error,' meaning: he commits his path and does not know the ways of guidance. And the meaning of 'the distance': the disparity between the two reports. And 'ghaba' upon him the thing - like 'radiya' - means it was hidden from him. And 'ghabi' is about the thing - like 'radiya' also - means he was unable to know it.

In his saying 'not hidden from him... etc.' there is a contrast of affirmation and negation. And the common usage is for omission, and the origin is rare. And the meaning of this question is to magnify the matter, as if he said: 'about what matter are they questioning?' Similar to what you say: 'What is Zaid?'

Mahamud said: 'The meaning of this question is to magnify the matter, as if it were said: about what thing are they questioning, similar to what you say...' etc. Ahmad said: 'Um Zaid has greatly emphasized this magnification in her saying: 'And Abu Zaid, what is Abu Zaid?' to the end of her narration.'

He made it for the interruption of its companion and the absence of its like, as if it were something hidden from you its kind, so you are asking about its kind and inquiring about its essence, as you say: 'What is the ghoul and what is the anqa?' You want: 'What is it among things?' This is its origin, then it was stripped of the expression of magnification.

Mahamud said: 'This is its origin, then it was stripped of the indication of magnification...' etc. Ahmad said: 'Because some of them doubt the resurrection, and some of them deny it, and thus it was said the pronoun is for the Muslims and the disbelievers. The question of the Muslims is to increase their fear, and the question of the disbelievers is to increase their mockery and disbelief.'

And the pronoun is for the people of Mecca: they were questioning among themselves about the resurrection, and they were questioning others about it in a mocking manner. 'About the great news' is an indication of the magnified matter.

And Ibn Kathir reported that he read: 'Amma' with a pause. And it is not free: either the connection is like the stop, or he stops and begins with 'They are questioning about the great news,' assuming 'they are questioning' because what follows explains it, like something that is ambiguous then clarified.

If you say: 'You claimed that the pronoun in 'they are questioning' is for the disbelievers, what do you do with his saying: 'They are in it differing?' I say: There were among them those who firmly denied the resurrection, and among them were those who doubted. And it was said: the pronoun is for the Muslims and the disbelievers together, and they were all questioning about it. As for the believer, it is to increase his fear and readiness, and as for the disbeliever, it is to increase his mockery. And it was said: what is being questioned is the Qur'an. And it was said: the prophethood of Muhammad blessings and peace be upon him. And it was read: 'they are questioning' with merging, and 'you will know' with the ta.