Tafsir of Al-A'la 87:16

{Nay, you prefer the life of the world} is a shift (idrab) from a latent premise to which the discourse is naturally inclined, as if it were said: "After explaining what leads to success, you do not do that; nay, you prefer the life of the world, etc." Perhaps this is what is intended by the one who said it is a shift from {he has succeeded, etc.}.

It is also said that it is a shift from explaining the state of the one who remembers and the one who avoids, to explaining that this guidance—and even its manifold equivalents—is of no benefit to the rebellious; in a manner that includes the reason for this lack of benefit, which is the preference for the life of the world. According to this, the address is directed at the wretched disbelievers of the people of Mecca. According to the first view, it is possible that it is addressed to them as well, where the preference for the life of the world denotes being pleased with it, finding tranquility in it, and turning away from the Hereafter entirely, as in His saying: {Indeed, those who do not look forward to meeting Us and are pleased with the life of the world and find tranquility in it...} (Yunus: 7).

It is also possible that it is addressed to all of mankind by way of generalization (taghlib). In that case, the preference for it is more general than what was mentioned, encompassing what people are generally not free of, such as prioritizing the worldly aspect over the Hereafter in one's striving and the arrangement of priorities. From Ibn Mas’ud, there is evidence for this interpretation. The shift to the second-person address in the first view serves to intensify the reprimand; in the second view, it serves the same purpose regarding the disbelievers, and to intensify the reproach regarding the Muslims. Others said there is no shift, as it is based on the estimation of "Say."

Abdullah, Abu Raja’, al-Hasan, al-Jahdari, Abu Haywah, Ibn Abi ‘Ablah, Abu ‘Amr, al-Za’farani, and Ibn Miqsam read [the verb] as yu’thiruna (they prefer) with the letter ya denoting the third person.