﴿وَقِيلِهِ يرَبِّ إِنَّ هَـؤُلاَءِ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴾

(And his saying: "O my Lord! Verily, these are a people who believe not!'') means, Muhammad said this; he complained to his Lord about his people who did not believe in him, and said, `O Lord, these people do not believe.' This is like the Ayah:

﴿وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يرَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِى اتَّخَذُواْ هَـذَا الْقُرْءاَنَ مَهْجُوراً ﴾

(And the Messenger will say: "O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur'an.'') (25:30). This is the view of Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid and Qatadah, and this is how Ibn Jarir interpreted it. Al-Bukhari said: "`Abdullah -- meaning Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him -- recited (Ayah 88 of Az-Zukhruf): (وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ ياربِّ) (And the Messenger will say: "O my Lord!'') Mujahid said concerning the Ayah:

﴿وَقِيلِهِ يرَبِّ إِنَّ هَـؤُلاَءِ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴾

(And his saying: "O my Lord! Verily, these are a people who believe not!'') "Allah is stating what Muhammad said.'' Qatadah said, "These are the words of your Prophet , when he complained about his people to his Lord.''

﴿فَاصْفَحْ عَنْهُمْ﴾

(So turn away from them, ) means, from the idolators.

﴿وَقُلْ سَلَـمٌ﴾

(and say Salam (peace!)) means, `do not respond to them in the same evil manner in which they address you; but try to soften their hearts and forgive them in word and deed.'

﴿فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾

(But they will come to know.) This is a warning from Allah for them. His punishment, which cannot be warded off, struck them, and His religion and His word was supreme. Subsequently Jihad and striving were prescribed until the people entered the religion of Allah in crowds, and Islam spread throughout the east and the west. And Allah knows best. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Az-Zukhruf.