Surah Az Zukhruf Tafseer

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):

وَقالَ

الرَّسَولُ يَارَبِّ

And the Messenger will say:"O my Lord!"

Mujahid said concerning the Ayah:

(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.