وَقِيلِهِۦ يَـٰرَبِّ إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوْمٌ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ
And [Allah acknowledges] his saying, "O my Lord, indeed these are a people who do not believe."
The Gold Adornments
وَقِيلِهِۦ يَـٰرَبِّ إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوْمٌ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ
And [Allah acknowledges] his saying, "O my Lord, indeed these are a people who do not believe."
Nearby ayahs help place verse 43:88 in sequence and meaning.
وَلَا يَمْلِكُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ٱلشَّفَـٰعَةَ إِلَّا مَن شَهِدَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
And those they invoke besides Him do not possess [power of] intercession; but only those who testify to the truth [can benefit], and they know.
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
And if you asked them who created them, they would surely say, "Allah." So how are they deluded?
فَٱصْفَحْ عَنْهُمْ وَقُلْ سَلَـٰمٌ ۚ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ
So turn aside from them and say, "Peace." But they are going to know.