وَإِذَا عَلِمَ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا شَيْـًٔا ٱتَّخَذَهَا هُزُوًا ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ 9
Translations
And when he knows anything of Our verses, he takes them in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.
Transliteration
Wa-idha 'alima min ayatina shay'an ittakhdhaha huzuwan. Ula'ika lahum 'adhab muhin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns those who, upon learning or encountering any of Allah's signs (ayat), mock and ridicule them instead of accepting them with reverence. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this refers to deliberate mockery of the Quran, Islamic teachings, or divine signs—a grave sin that demonstrates arrogance and rejection of truth. The 'humiliating punishment' (adhab muhin) in the afterlife is the consequence for such insolence toward Allah's revelation.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Jathiyah addresses the rejection of divine signs by the disbelievers of Mecca during the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime. This specific ayah fits within the broader Meccan context where pagans encountered Quranic verses and divine proofs yet chose mockery over reflection, a pattern repeatedly condemned throughout the Quran.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned: 'Whoever mocks something from the religion of Allah, or the messenger of Allah, or the Book of Allah, then he has disbelieved' (At-Tirmidhi). Additionally, Surah 9:65-66 addresses those who claim their mockery was 'just joking,' emphasizing that mockery of divine signs is a matter of disbelief.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should approach the signs of Allah (Quran, creation, teachings) with reverence and sincere reflection rather than dismissal or ridicule; mockery of faith is not a trivial matter but a serious transgression that separates one from Allah's mercy and subjects one to His punishment.