وَلَقَدِ ٱسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِٱلَّذِينَ سَخِرُوا۟ مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ 10
Translations
And already were messengers ridiculed before you, but those who mocked them were enveloped by that which they used to ridicule.
Transliteration
Wa-laqad istuhzi'a bi-rusulim min qablika fa-haaqa bi-alladhina sakhiroo minhum maa kaanoo bihi yastahzi'oon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah consoles Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by reminding him that previous messengers were also mocked and ridiculed by their people, yet Allah's punishment ultimately befell those who scoffed at them. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'what they used to mock' refers to the very punishment and divine retribution they had denied, emphasizing that mockery of the message and messenger invites severe consequences. The ayah underscores Allah's justice: those who deride the truth receive exactly the fate they dismissed and laughed at.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during a period of intense persecution of the Prophet and early Muslims by the Quraysh. This ayah appears in the broader context of Surah Al-An'am, which addresses disbelief, polytheism, and the mockery faced by the Prophet. It provides historical precedent and divine comfort, showing that ridicule of messengers is not a new phenomenon but a recurring pattern throughout history.
Related Hadiths
Tirmidhi and Ahmad report that the Prophet said: 'The greatest trial for a nation is when they mock their Prophet.' Additionally, Sahih Bukhari contains accounts of how the Quraysh mocked the Prophet, and how Surahs like this one provided him solace during those difficult times.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers facing ridicule for their faith should remember that mockery of truth has always invited divine punishment, and that standing firm in the message despite ridicule is a proven path of all messengers. This ayah teaches that patience in the face of derision, combined with trust in Allah's justice, ultimately vindicates the believers.
Related Ayahs
وَمَا تَأْتِيهِم مِّنْ ءَايَةٍ مِّنْ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَّا كَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِينَ
And no sign comes to them from the signs of their Lord except that they turn away therefrom.
وَذَرُوا۟ ظَـٰهِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَبَاطِنَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْسِبُونَ ٱلْإِثْمَ سَيُجْزَوْنَ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَقْتَرِفُونَ
And leave [i.e., desist from] what is apparent of sin and what is concealed thereof. Indeed, those who earn [blame for] sin will be recompensed for that which they used to commit.
وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَآ أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلَا تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُم بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَـٰنًا ۚ فَأَىُّ ٱلْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِٱلْأَمْنِ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
And how should I fear what you associate while you do not fear that you have associated with Allāh that for which He has not sent down to you any authority? So which of the two parties has more right to security, if you should know?"
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allāh a lie or denies His verses? Indeed, the wrongdoers will not succeed.