قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦٓ إِنَّا لَنَرَىٰكَ فِى سَفَاهَةٍ وَإِنَّا لَنَظُنُّكَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ 66
Translations
Said the eminent ones who disbelieved among his people, "Indeed, we see you in foolishness, and indeed, we think you are of the liars."
Transliteration
Qāla al-malā'u alladhīna kafarū min qawmihi inna lanārāka fī safāhatin wa inna lanazunnuka mina al-kādhībīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
The disbelieving chiefs of Noah's people respond to his preaching by accusing him of foolishness and lying. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this represents the typical response of arrogant leaders who reject prophetic truth out of pride and attachment to worldly status, dismissing the messenger's wisdom as folly and his truthfulness as deception.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the detailed narrative of Prophet Noah (Nuh) and his 950-year mission to his people, established in the Meccan period. It illustrates the rejection Noah faced from the elite of his society, serving as a historical precedent and consolation for Prophet Muhammad regarding the opposition he would encounter from Meccan leaders.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim (2286) where the Prophet Muhammad said: 'How strange is the affair of the believer. There is good for him in every matter, and this is not the case with anyone except the believer'—relating to patience through rejection. Also relevant is the general principle in Surah 36:30 about the reward of those rejected.
Themes
Key Lesson
When truth-bearers face ridicule and false accusations from those in power, their steadfastness lies in knowing that God witnesses their sincerity—social rejection does not negate the validity of a righteous message. Modern believers should not be discouraged when their sincere efforts for good are mischaracterized, as this mirrors the trials of the greatest prophets.