Quran Universe
21:41

وَلَقَدِ ٱسۡتُهۡزِئَ بِرُسُلٖ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِٱلَّذِينَ سَخِرُواْ مِنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ

Walaqadi istuhzia birusulin min qablika fahaqa biallatheena sakhiroo minhum ma kanoo bihi yastahzioona

And already were messengers ridiculed before you, but those who mocked them were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدِAnd verily
  2. ٱسۡتُهۡزِئَwere mocked
  3. بِرُسُلٖMessengers
  4. مِّنbefore you
  5. قَبۡلِكَbefore you
  6. فَحَاقَthen surrounded
  7. بِٱلَّذِينَthose who
  8. سَخِرُواْmocked
  9. مِنۡهُمfrom them
  10. مَّاwhat
  11. كَانُواْthey used
  12. بِهِۦat it
  13. يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ(to) mock
Al-Anbya · 21:41Makkah

Messengers were mocked before you; the mockers met what they mocked.

Consolation for the Prophet in his pain

The old pattern
messengersmocked
and
the mockerssurrounded
by
what they mockedthe warning, come true
What mockery means
I'm failingthey laugh at me
I'm in good companythe messengers too

Allah consoles His Messenger ﷺ for the pain and insult of the mockery. Messengers before him were mocked, and the scoffers were surrounded by the punishment they thought would never come. Another verse adds that they bore it with patience until help came.

Your cousins laugh when you skip the drink at the wedding. A coworker makes a joke about your prayer break. It stings. Better people than you were laughed at for less, and they were right.

Being mocked for my faith means I am doing something wrong.

The messengers were mocked too. Mockery does not make the truth less true.

Try this

Next time you are teased for your faith, smile, stay kind, and keep going.

Related6:34
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Indeed (many) Messengers were mocked before you, but the scoffers were surrounded by what they used to mock (41)Say: "Who can guard and protect you in the night or in the day from the Most Gracious?" Nay, but they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord (42)Or have they gods who can guard them from Us? They have no power to help themselves, nor can they be protected from Us (43)

The Lessons to be learned from Those Who mocked the Messengers in the Past

Allah says consoling His Messenger ﷺ for the pain and insult caused by the mockery and disbelief of the idolators,

وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِينَ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

(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 فَصَبَرُوا عَلَىٰ مَا كُذِّبُوا وَأُوذُوا حَتَّىٰ أَتَاهُمْ نَصْرُنَا ۚ وَلَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكَ 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 بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ

(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 رَبِّهِم 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 تَمْنَعُهُم 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:

لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَ أَنفُسِهِمْ

(They have no power to help themselves,) these gods on whom they rely instead of Allah cannot even help themselves.

وَلَا هُم مِّنَّا يُصْحَبُونَ

(nor can they be protected from Us.) Al-'Awfi reported from Ibn 'Abbas,"Nor can they be guarded from Us."