وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَثَمُودُ 42
Translations
And if they deny you, [O Muḥammad] - so, before them, did the people of Noah and ʿAad and Thamūd deny [their prophets],
Transliteration
Wa in yukazzibuka faqad kazzabat qablahum qawmu Nuh wa Ad wa Thamud
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah provides consolation to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by reminding him that rejection of prophets is not unprecedented—the nations of Nuh (Noah), Ad, and Thamud all rejected their messengers before him. Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note this serves as both historical precedent and assurance that disbelief is not a personal failure of the Prophet, but a recurring pattern of human rejection of divine truth throughout history.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Hajj is Medinan and addresses challenges faced by the early Muslim community. This ayah contextualizes the Meccan rejection the Prophet faced within a broader pattern of prophetic rejection across nations. It appears in a section emphasizing the timeless nature of divine guidance and human response to it, providing solace during persecution.
Related Hadiths
The Quran itself references similar consolation in Surah Al-An'am 34: 'Messengers have already come to you before me with clear proofs' (Sahih Muslim 152 discusses prophetic trials). Additionally, Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:44 mentions how every nation had a messenger they rejected, substantiating this recurring theme.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers facing opposition should recognize that resistance to truth is a recurring human pattern, not a sign of the message's invalidity—this realization brings perspective and patience. Furthermore, this ayah teaches that prophets are not responsible for faith itself, only for conveying the message clearly and truthfully.
Related Ayahs
مَن كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَن لَّن يَنصُرَهُ ٱللَّهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ بِسَبَبٍ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ثُمَّ لْيَقْطَعْ فَلْيَنظُرْ هَلْ يُذْهِبَنَّ كَيْدُهُۥ مَا يَغِيظُ
Whoever should think that Allāh will not support him [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] in this world and the Hereafter - let him extend a rope to the ceiling, then cut off [his breath], and let him see: will his effort remove that which enrages [him]?
كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُۥ مَن تَوَلَّاهُ فَأَنَّهُۥ يُضِلُّهُۥ وَيَهْدِيهِ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ
It has been decreed for him [i.e., every devil] that whoever turns to him - he will misguide him and will lead him to the punishment of the Blaze.
وَأَذِّن فِى ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ
And proclaim to the people the ḥajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass -
وَٱلَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ قُتِلُوٓا۟ أَوْ مَاتُوا۟ لَيَرْزُقَنَّهُمُ ٱللَّهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلرَّٰزِقِينَ
And those who emigrated for the cause of Allāh and then were killed or died - Allāh will surely provide for them a good provision. And indeed, it is Allāh who is the best of providers.