Tafsir of Al-Hijr 15:6

This is a commencement in expounding their disbelief in the one upon whom the Book was revealed—a disbelief that entails denying the Book itself—and an explanation of the state to which they would eventually descend. The speakers are the people of Mecca. Muqatil said: The verse was revealed regarding Abdullah ibn Umayyah, an-Nadr ibn al-Harith, Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid, and al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah. They are the ones who said to him, may Allah the Exalted grant him peace and blessings: "O you to whom the Reminder [i.e., the Quran] has been sent down." They addressed him—peace and blessings be upon him—with this title, despite being disbelievers who did not believe in any revelation, as a means of mockery and derision, and to signify the pretext for their false judgment in their statement: "Indeed, you are mad."

Meaning: "O you who claims such a momentous, extraordinary matter; you are, by virtue of that claim, confirmed in your madness in the most complete sense." This is like a man saying to someone from whom he hears speech he deems improbable: "You are mad." It has been said that they judged him so because of the appearance of a state resembling fainting that would come upon him—peace and blessings be upon him—when the revelation of the Quran descended. The first [interpretation] is, as is said, more appropriate to the context.

Some have argued that the statement is the emphasized clause, excluding the vocative particle, and that the latter is from the speech of Allah the Exalted, aimed at exonerating him—peace and blessings be upon him—from what they attributed to him from the start. This is challenged on the basis that it does not befit the statement of Allah the Exalted: "Indeed, it is We who have sent down the Reminder..." onwards; for it is—as will come, if Allah the Exalted wills—a refutation of their denial and mockery. It may be answered that this, under that interpretation, is a rebuttal to what they intended within their aforementioned statement, but the evident meaning is that the entirety is their speech. Pharaoh—upon him be the curse—preceded them with a similar remark regarding Moses—upon him be peace—saying: "Indeed, your messenger who has been sent to you is mad."

The prepositional phrase is placed before the passive participle, as it is said, because their denial is directed at the fact that what was sent down is a "Reminder" from Allah the Exalted, not at the fact that the one upon whom it was sent is a Messenger of Allah—may Allah the Exalted grant him peace and blessings—after having conceded that what was sent down came from Him, the Exalted. This is as in His saying, Glory be to Him: "Why was this Quran not sent down upon a great man from the two cities?" For the denial there is directed at the one upon whom it was sent being a Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him.

The use of the verb in the passive form is to suggest that the descent is not an act performed by a doer, or to direct the denial toward the fact that the revelation occurred upon him, rather than toward attributing it to the doer. Zayd ibn Ali—may Allah be pleased with both of them—read nazzala [active voice] with a lightened zay, making it active and raising adh-dhikru [the Reminder] as the subject. It was also read: "O you upon whom the Reminder has been cast." Abu Hayyan said: This reading should be considered an interpretation [exegesis], as it contradicts the script of the Uthmanic codex.