وَلَقَدِ ٱسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِٱلَّذِينَ سَخِرُوا۟ مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ 41
Translations
And already were messengers ridiculed before you, but those who mocked them were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
Transliteration
Wa laqad istuhzi'a bi rusulim min qablika fa haqa billadhina sakhiru minhum ma kanu bihi yastahzi'un
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 mocked them with the very thing they ridiculed. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse establishes a pattern in divine history: those who scoff at the message and messenger face consequences that mirror their mockery, demonstrating Allah's perfect justice and the futility of ridicule against the truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-Anbiya during a period when the Quraysh were intensely mocking the Prophet and the believers. The surah surveys the histories of various prophets to provide the Prophet with historical precedent and consolation, showing that rejection and ridicule of messengers is not new, but that Allah always vindicates His messengers and punishes the mockers.
Related Hadiths
The theme relates to Surah Al-Hijr 15:95 with a similar message. Additionally, Tirmidhi and other collectors record ahadith about the Prophet's patience in facing mockery and abuse from the Quraysh, emphasizing that he was commanded to bear it with patience as previous prophets did.
Themes
Key Lesson
Those who mock the message of truth and the bearers of that message ultimately face the consequences of their own derision, reminding us that ridicule of faith is not without consequence. This teaches believers patience in facing mockery and confidence that Allah's justice is absolute and inescapable.