Tafsir of Yusuf 12:105

{And how many a sign} Meaning: a mark and an indication of the Creator, His attributes, and His Oneness.

{they pass by} Meaning: they witness them while being heedless of them, failing to take heed or learn a lesson from them.

• Qira'at (Readings):
  • "Wal-ardu" (The earth) is read in the nominative case (raf') as an initial subject (mubtada'), with "yamurrūna 'alayhā" (they pass by it) serving as its predicate.
  • Al-Suddi read "Wal-arda" in the accusative case (nasb), implying: "They tread upon the earth, passing by it."
  • In the codex of 'Abdullah [ibn Mas'ud], it is written: "Wal-ardu yamshūna 'alayhā" (And the earth, they walk upon it), with "al-ardu" in the nominative.

• Interpretation: The intended meaning is what they see of the remnants of perished nations and other such lessons.

{And most of them believe not in Allah except while they associate others with Him}