Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Anbiya -> The Lessons to be learned from Those Who mocked the Messengers in the Past |
Allah says consoling His Messenger for the pain and insult caused by the mockery and disbelief of the idolators, ﴿وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِىءَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِينَ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ﴾ (Indeed (many) Messengers were mocked before you, but the scoffers were surrounded by what they used to mock.) meaning, the punishment which they thought would never come to pass. This is like the Ayah: ﴿وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَصَبَرُواْ عَلَى مَا كُذِّبُواْ وَأُوذُواْ حَتَّى أَتَـهُمْ نَصْرُنَا وَلاَ مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـتِ اللَّهِ وَلَقدْ جَآءَكَ مِن نَّبَإِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴾ (Verily, Messengers were denied before you, but with patience they bore the denial, and they were hurt; till Our help reached them, and none can alter the Words of Allah. Surely, there has reached you the information (news) about the Messengers (before you)) ﴿6:34﴾. Then Allah menitons His favor for His creatures; He protects them by night and by day, taking care of them and watching over them with His Eye that never sleeps. ﴿قُلْ مَن يَكْلَؤُكُم بِالَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَـنِ﴾ (Say: "Who can guard and protect you in the night or in the day from the Most Gracious'') means, other than the Most Gracious Himself ﴿بَلْ هُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِمْ مُّعْرِضُونَ﴾ (Nay, but they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord.) means, they do not recognize the blessings and favor of Allah towards them; they turn away from His signs and blessings. ﴿أَمْ لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ تَمْنَعُهُمْ مِّن دُونِنَا﴾ (Or have they gods who can guard them from Us) This is a rhetorical question aimed at denouncing and rebuking. The meaning is, do they have any gods who can protect them and take care of them other than Us It is not as they imagine or as they claim. Allah says: ﴿لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَ أَنْفُسِهِمْ﴾ (They have no power to help themselves,) these gods on whom they rely instead of Allah cannot even help themselves. ﴿وَلاَ هُمْ مِّنَّا يُصْحَبُونَ﴾ (nor can they be protected from Us.) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas,"Nor can they be guarded from Us.'' ﴿بَلْ مَتَّعْنَا هَـؤُلاءِ وَءَابَآءَهُمْ حَتَّى طَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعُمُرُ أَفَلاَ يَرَوْنَ أَنَّا نَأْتِى الاٌّرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَآ أَفَهُمُ الْغَـلِبُونَ - قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أُنذِرُكُم بِالْوَحْىِ وَلاَ يَسْمَعُ الصُّمُّ الدُّعَآءَ إِذَا مَا يُنذَرُونَ - وَلَئِن مَّسَّتْهُمْ نَفْحَةٌ مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ يويْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـلِمِينَ - وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَزِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ فَلاَ تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئاً وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَـسِبِينَ ﴾ (44. Nay, We gave the luxuries of this life to these men and their fathers until the period grew long for them. See they not that We gradually reduce the land from its outlying borders Is it then they who will overcome) (45. Say: "I warn you only by the revelation. "But the deaf will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned.) (46. And if a breath of the torment of your Lord touches them, they will surely cry: "Woe unto us! Indeed we have been wrongdoers.'') (47. And We shall set up Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And sufficient are We to take account.)
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