ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوْا۟ عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا۟ مُعَلَّمٌ مَّجْنُونٌ 14
Translations
Then they turned away from him and said, "[He was] taught [and is] a madman."
Transliteration
Thumma tawallaw 'anhu wa qalū mu'allimun majnūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the rejection and mockery of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by the disbelievers of Mecca, who turned away from him and accused him of being a madman taught by others. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note this represents the Quraysh's attempt to discredit the Prophet by claiming his message was either insane ravings or plagiarized knowledge, rather than divine revelation. The ayah illustrates the predictable pattern of rejection that messengers face from those who refuse to acknowledge truth.
Revelation Context
Surah Ad-Dukhan is a Meccan surah revealed during the period of intense persecution of Muslims. This ayah is part of the narrative describing how the Quraysh rejected Prophet Muhammad despite his clear signs and message, employing character assassination and mockery as tactics of denial—a common theme in Meccan surahs addressing early opposition to the message.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari reports that the Quraysh would mock the Prophet with similar accusations. Additionally, Surah Al-Hijr (15:6) contains a related ayah where disbelievers say 'You are but a man bewitched' (Anta illa rajulun musahhar), reflecting the consistent pattern of denying the Prophet's sanity and truthfulness.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that resistance to divine truth often manifests through personal attacks and mockery rather than rational discourse, teaching us that the steadfastness of the Prophet in face of such rejection should inspire patience and conviction when spreading the message of Islam.