وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوًّا مِّنَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ هَادِيًا وَنَصِيرًا 31
Translations
And thus have We made for every prophet an enemy from among the criminals. But sufficient is your Lord as a guide and a helper.
Transliteration
Wa-kathalika ja'alna li-kulli nabiyyin 'aduwwan min al-mujrimeen, wa-kafa bi-rabbika hadian wa-nasiran
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that every prophet faced enemies from among the criminals and wrongdoers, establishing that opposition to truth is an inevitable pattern throughout history. Allah reassures the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that His guidance and support are sufficient, meaning that divine assistance transcends human opposition and that victory belongs to those who follow Allah's straight path. Ibn Kathir emphasizes that this is a consolation to the Prophet, reminding him that hostility from disbelievers is a shared experience of all messengers, not a sign of failure.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Furqan, a Meccan chapter revealed during the period of intense opposition to the Prophet in Mecca. The broader context addresses the doubts and rejections the Prophet faced from the Quraysh and other disbelievers, providing him spiritual reassurance by connecting his struggle to the universal mission of all prophets before him.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet said: 'The most severely tested people are the prophets, then the righteous, then the next best.' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2398). Also relevant is the hadith: 'Every prophet was given signs by means of which people believed, but I have been given the Qur'an.' (Sahih Bukhari 4981)
Themes
Key Lesson
When facing opposition for speaking truth or practicing faith, remember that all prophets before you encountered similar resistance—this is not a sign of weakness but a sign you are on the right path. Place your complete trust in Allah's guidance and support, for His help is infinitely more powerful than any human opposition.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَىٰ رَبَّنَا ۗ لَقَدِ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَعَتَوْ عُتُوًّا كَبِيرًا
And those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, "Why were not angels sent down to us, or [why] do we [not] see our Lord?" They have certainly become arrogant within themselves and [become] insolent with great insolence.
ثُمَّ قَبَضْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْنَا قَبْضًا يَسِيرًا
Then We [retract and] hold it with Us for a brief grasp.
وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ لَّمَّا كَذَّبُوا۟ ٱلرُّسُلَ أَغْرَقْنَـٰهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ ءَايَةً ۖ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
And the people of Noah - when they denied the messengers, We drowned them, and We made them for mankind a sign. And We have prepared for the wrongdoers a painful punishment.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا وَٱلنَّوْمَ سُبَاتًا وَجَعَلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ نُشُورًا
And it is He who has made the night for you as clothing and sleep [a means for] rest and has made the day a resurrection.