وَمَا نُرْسِلُ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ ۚ وَيُجَـٰدِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا۟ بِهِ ٱلْحَقَّ ۖ وَٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ ءَايَـٰتِى وَمَآ أُنذِرُوا۟ هُزُوًا 56
Translations
And We send not the messengers except as bringers of good tidings and warners. And those who disbelieve dispute by [using] falsehood to [attempt to] invalidate thereby the truth and have taken My verses, and that of which they are warned, in ridicule.
Transliteration
Wa mā nursilu al-mursalīna illā mubashshirīn wa mundhirīn. Wa yujādilu alladhīna kafarū bi-al-bāṭili li-yudḥiḍū bihi al-ḥaqq. Wa ittakhdhū āyātī wa mā undhirū huzuwan.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes that the primary mission of all messengers is to convey glad tidings (to the believers) and warnings (to the disbelievers). The disbelievers, however, dispute with falsehood in an attempt to refute the truth, and they mock the signs of Allah and the warnings they receive. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this describes the stubborn resistance of those who reject faith despite clear evidence, their arguments being baseless and their ridicule a manifestation of their arrogance and spiritual blindness.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-Kahf and reflects the broader context of Meccan opposition to Prophet Muhammad's message. It directly addresses the antagonistic behavior of the Quraysh and other disbelievers who encountered the Prophet's preaching with mockery and false argumentation, exemplifying the pattern of rejection that messengers throughout history have faced.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027), emphasizing the purpose of messengers to convey and warn. Additionally, Jābir reported that the Prophet said: 'I have been sent as a bringer of good news and a warner' (Sahih Muslim 382), directly reflecting the roles mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that opposition to truth through false arguments and ridicule is the characteristic response of those who reject faith, not a sign of weakness in the message itself. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of sincere engagement with divine guidance rather than dismissive argumentation, and the spiritual consequence of choosing mockery over reflection.
Related Ayahs
وَيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًا
And to warn those who say, "Allāh has taken a son".
قُلِ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا۟ ۖ لَهُۥ غَيْبُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ أَبْصِرْ بِهِۦ وَأَسْمِعْ ۚ مَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا يُشْرِكُ فِى حُكْمِهِۦٓ أَحَدًا
Say, "Allāh is most knowing of how long they remained. He has [knowledge of] the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth. How Seeing is He and how Hearing! They have not besides Him any protector, and He shares not His legislation with anyone."
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِىَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ ۚ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا ۖ وَإِن تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ فَلَن يَهْتَدُوٓا۟ إِذًا أَبَدًا
And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth? Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance - they will never be guided, then - ever.
وَإِنَّا لَجَـٰعِلُونَ مَا عَلَيْهَا صَعِيدًا جُرُزًا
And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground.