فَأَصَابَهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتُ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ 34
Translations
So they were struck by the evil consequences of what they did and were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
Transliteration
Fa-asabahum sayyiʾātu mā ʿamilū wa-ḥāqa bihim mā kānū bihī yastahziʾūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the divine punishment that befell those who mocked the message and messengers of Allah—they were afflicted by the evil consequences of their own deeds, and that which they used to ridicule encompassed them. Ibn Kathir explains that this is a general principle of divine justice: those who ridicule the truth and Allah's signs will face the inevitable consequences of their actions in this life and the hereafter. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that 'what they used to mock' refers to the punishment and divine retribution they dismissed, which ultimately seized them.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah An-Nahl, which extensively discusses the signs of Allah in creation and humanity's rejection of them. The broader context addresses the arrogance and mockery of the Meccan disbelievers toward the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), culminating in this statement about their eventual punishment.
Related Hadiths
The principle is reflected in Sunan Ibn Majah and other collections where the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned that 'whoever mocks a people, Allah will mock them.' Additionally, Sahih Bukhari contains hadiths about the fate of those who reject divine signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a sobering reminder that mocking Allah's signs, His messengers, or believers is not without consequence—the Quran teaches that our actions inevitably return to us. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of treating sacred matters with reverence and recognizing that ridicule of faith may invite divine displeasure and earthly consequences.
Related Ayahs
لَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ
Be not deceived by the [uninhibited] movement of the disbelievers throughout the land.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُۥ مَعَهُۥ لِيَفْتَدُوا۟ بِهِۦ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Indeed, those who disbelieve - if they should have all that is in the earth and the like of it with it by which to ransom themselves from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection, it will not be accepted from them, and for them is a painful punishment.
كُلُوا۟ وَتَمَتَّعُوا۟ قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُم مُّجْرِمُونَ
[O disbelievers], eat and enjoy yourselves a little; indeed, you are criminals.
ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ تَظَـٰهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَـٰرَىٰ تُفَـٰدُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ ۚ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْىٌ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَشَدِّ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
Then, you are those [same ones who are] killing one another and evicting a party of your people from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their eviction was forbidden to you. So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.