قَدْ نَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيَحْزُنُكَ ٱلَّذِى يَقُولُونَ ۖ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ 33
Translations
We know that you, [O Muḥammad], are saddened by what they say. And indeed, they do not call you untruthful, but it is the verses of Allāh that the wrongdoers reject.
Transliteration
Qad na'lamu innahu layahzunuka allathi yaqulun, fa-innahu laa yukaddhibunaka wa-laakinna al-zalimin bi-ayat illahi yajhadun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah assures the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that He is fully aware of the grief caused by the rejections and false accusations of the disbelievers. The ayah clarifies that the Quraysh are not actually denying the truthfulness of the Prophet's message due to doubt, but rather they knowingly reject the signs of Allah out of arrogance and willful denial (juhud). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this distinction is crucial: the disbelievers' rejection stems not from ignorance but from conscious obstinacy against divine truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-An'am, which deals extensively with divine signs and the disbelievers' rejection of them. The revelation comes as a consolation to the Prophet during the Meccan period when he faced severe opposition and ridicule from the Quraysh. It addresses the emotional toll of preaching to those who deliberately turn away from truth despite recognizing it.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The most severely tested people are the prophets, then those closest to them in piety' - illustrating the difficulty prophets face in their mission. Additionally, Tirmidhi records the Prophet's statement about patience in facing rejection, emphasizing endurance against stubborn denial.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that rejection of truth often stems from arrogance rather than lack of evidence, and that sincere believers should find solace knowing Allah acknowledges their struggles when facing deliberate denial. Modern believers are reminded to distinguish between those genuinely seeking truth and those stubbornly resisting it, responding to each with appropriate wisdom and patience.
Related Ayahs
وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَٰطِى مُسْتَقِيمًا فَٱتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلسُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّىٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
And, [moreover], this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way. This has He instructed you that you may become righteous.
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا صُمٌّ وَبُكْمٌ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ ۗ مَن يَشَإِ ٱللَّهُ يُضْلِلْهُ وَمَن يَشَأْ يَجْعَلْهُ عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
But those who deny Our verses are deaf and dumb within darknesses. Whomever Allāh wills - He sends astray; and whomever He wills - He puts him on a straight path.
وَهُوَ ٱللَّهُ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَفِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّكُمْ وَجَهْرَكُمْ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُونَ
And He is Allāh, [the only deity] in the heavens and the earth. He knows your secret and what you make public, and He knows that which you earn.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ كُن فَيَكُونُ ۚ قَوْلُهُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۚ وَلَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ ۚ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ
And it is He who created the heavens and earth in truth. And the day [i.e., whenever] He says, "Be," and it is, His word is the truth. And His is the dominion [on] the Day the Horn is blown. [He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed; and He is the Wise, the Aware.