وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًا جَمِيلًا 10
Translations
And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance.
Transliteration
Wa-isbirْ 'alā mā yaqūlūn wa-ahjurhum hajran jamīlā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to exercise patience in the face of the disbelievers' mockery and rejection, while simultaneously maintaining honorable separation from them. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret 'hajran jamīlā' (beautiful/gracious abandonment) as dignified detachment without harsh condemnation, reflecting the Prophet's noble character and the principle that rejection of falsehood need not be accompanied by rudeness or vindictiveness. The verse emphasizes that spiritual conviction and moral integrity are maintained through patient endurance and gracious conduct, not through retaliatory behavior.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Muzzammil, revealed during the early Meccan period when the Prophet faced intense persecution and ridicule from the Quraysh. The surah's broader context addresses the Prophet's night vigil and devotional practices while dealing with opposition. This specific verse provides divine guidance on how to handle the psychological and emotional burden of sustained mockery and disbelief from his own people.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet said: 'The strong person is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the strong person is the one who controls himself while in anger' (Sahih Bukhari 5763). Additionally, the Prophet's demonstrated practice of patient forbearance with mockers like Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt exemplifies this principle throughout the sīrah (biography).
Themes
Key Lesson
This verse teaches that true strength lies in maintaining one's principles and dignity amid opposition through patient endurance and gracious conduct, rather than through confrontation or abandonment of moral standards. For contemporary believers, it demonstrates that responding to hostility or mockery with composure and noble character is both spiritually rewarding and more effective than retaliatory responses.