Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:111

(They said: "Shall we believe in you, while the lowest [people] follow you?")

This implies: "And while the lowest [people] have followed you." The sentence is in the position of a state (hal), and the particle qad (often used to establish the past tense in a state clause) is considered inherent here, as the verb is in the past tense, although many esteemed scholars do not deem this obligatory.

'Abdullah [ibn Mas'ud], Ibn 'Abbas, al-A'mash, Abu Haywah, ad-Dahhak, Ibn as-Sumayqa', Sa'id ibn Abi Sa'id al-Ansari, Talhah, and Ya'qub read it as "wa-atba'uka" (and your followers). This is the plural of tabi' (follower), like sahib (companion) and ashab (companions). It is also said to be the plural of tabi' (one who follows), like sharif (noble) and ashraf (nobles). Another view is that it is the plural of tab' (follower), like batal (hero) and abtal (heroes). In this reading, atba'u is in the nominative case as the subject (mubtada'), and al-ardhalun (the lowest) is its predicate; the entire sentence is also in the position of a state (hal).

It is also said that it is a conjunction referring to the implied pronoun in nu'minu (shall we believe), and this is made acceptable due to the separation created by [the phrase] laka (for you), with al-ardhalun being its adjective—though it is not hidden that this is weak in meaning.

From al-Yamani, it is narrated as "wa-atba'ika" with a genitive case (jarr), conjoined to the pronoun in laka (for you); this is rare, though the Kufans derived a rule for it. In this case, al-ardhalun is in the nominative case due to an implied subject.

Al-ardhalun is the sound plural of al-ardhal. Radhalah signifies meanness and baseness. It is apparent that they considered those who believed in him—upon him be peace—to be "the lowest" based on their occupations; this is indicated by his response [to them].