21:36

وَإِذَا رَءَاكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي يَذۡكُرُ ءَالِهَتَكُمۡ وَهُم بِذِكۡرِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ هُمۡ كَٰفِرُونَ

Waitha raaka allatheena kafaroo in yattakhithoonaka illa huzuwan ahatha allathee yathkuru alihatakum wahum bithikri alrrahmani hum kafiroona

And when those who disbelieve see you, [O Muhammad], they take you not except in ridicule, [saying], "Is this the one who insults your gods?" And they are, at the mention of the Most Merciful, disbelievers.

Word by word
  1. وَإِذَاAnd when
  2. رَءَاكَthey see you
  3. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  4. كَفَرُوٓاْdisbelieve
  5. إِنnot
  6. يَتَّخِذُونَكَthey take you
  7. إِلَّاexcept
  8. هُزُوًا(in) ridicule
  9. أَهَٰذَاIs this
  10. ٱلَّذِيthe one who
  11. يَذۡكُرُmentions
  12. ءَالِهَتَكُمۡyour gods
  13. وَهُمAnd they
  14. بِذِكۡرِat (the) mention
  15. ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ(of) the Most Gracious
  16. هُمۡ[they]
  17. كَٰفِرُونَ(are) disbelievers
Al-Anbya · 21:36Makkah

They mocked him for speaking of their gods, yet denied the Merciful.

Outrage over idols, indifference to Allah


Their reaction
the Prophet ﷺ
mocked
your gods"he insults them"
the Mercifuldenied, no outrage
What they defended
guard the idolsoutraged at a word
honor Ar-Rahmanwhat deserved their care

When Abu Jahl and others of Quraysh saw the Prophet ﷺ, they made fun of him and insulted him: is this the one who talks about your gods? The tafsir notes the irony: they disbelieved in Allah and yet they mocked the Messenger.

Someone criticises your team, your phone brand, your favourite influencer, and you jump in to defend them. But you scroll past mockery of Allah's name. What we defend shows what we love. Notice where your loyalty jumps first.

I just defend what I care about.

What I rush to defend shows what holds my heart. Allah should come first.

Try this

Notice the next thing you rush to defend today. Ask if Allah gets that same care.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And when those who disbelieved see you, they take you not except for mockery (saying): "Is this the one who talks about your gods?" While they disbelieve at the mention of the Most Gracious (36)Man is created of haste. I will show you My Ayat. So ask Me not to hasten (them)(37)

How the Idolators mocked the Prophet (ﷺ)

Allah tells His Prophet ﷺ:

وَإِذَا رَآكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

(And when those who disbelieved see you,) meaning, the disbelievers of the Quraysh, such as Abu Jahl and his like.

إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا

(they take you not except for mockery) means, they make fun of you and insult you, saying,

أَهَٰذَا الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ آلِهَتَكُمْ

("Is this the one who talks about your gods?") meaning, is this the one who insults your gods and ridicules your intelligence? Allah says:

وَهُم بِذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ

(While they disbelieve at the mention of the Most Gracious.) meaning, they disbelieve in Allah and yet they mock the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. As Allah says:

وَإِذَا رَأَوْكَ إِنْ يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَٰذَا الَّذِي بَعَثَ اللَّهُ رَسُولًا - إِنْ كَادَ لَيُضِلُّنَا عَنْ آلِهَتِنَا لَوْلَا أَنْ صَبَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا

(And when they see you, they treat you only in mockery (saying): "Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a Messenger? He would have nearly misled us from our gods, had it not been that we were patient and constant in their worship!" And they will know, when they see the torment, who it is that is most astray from the path!)(25:41-42)

خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ

(Man is created of haste.) This is like the Ayah:

وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ عَجُولًا

(and man is ever hasty)(17:11), in all matters. The reason why the haste of man is mentioned here is that when mention is made of those who mock the Messenger ﷺ, (the believers) will want to avenge them swiftly, and that so should happen sooner. Allah says,

خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ

(Man is created of haste.) because He delays (the punishment) until a time when, once He seizes him, He will never let him go. He delays it, then He hastens it; He waits, then He does not delay any longer. So He says:

سَأُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِي

(I will show you My Ayat) meaning, My vengeance, ruling and power over those who disobey Me.

فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونِ

(So ask Me not to hasten (them).)