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.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذْ قَالُوا۟ ٱللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـٰذَا هُوَ ٱلْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ أَوِ ٱئْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
And [remember] when they said, "O Allāh, if this should be the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment."
وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يُكْفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلَا تَقْعُدُوا۟ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا مِّثْلُهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ جَامِعُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا
And it has already come down to you in the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] that when you hear the verses of Allāh [recited], they are denied [by them] and ridiculed; so do not sit with them until they enter into another conversation. Indeed, you would then be like them. Indeed, Allāh will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together -
وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦ ۚ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ فَلَا تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And when you see those who engage in [offensive] discourse concerning Our verses, then turn away from them until they enter into another conversation. And if Satan should cause you to forget, then do not remain after the reminder with the wrongdoing people.
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشْتَرِى لَهْوَ ٱلْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ
And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allāh without knowledge and who takes it [i.e., His way] in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.