أَمْ يَقُولُونَ بِهِۦ جِنَّةٌۢ ۚ بَلْ جَآءَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَـٰرِهُونَ 70
Translations
Or do they say, "In him is madness"? Rather, he brought them the truth, but most of them, to the truth, are averse.
Transliteration
Am yaqooloon bihi jinnatan, bal jaa'ahum bil-haqq wa aktharu-hum lil-haqq karahoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
The disbelievers accused the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) of being possessed by jinn or madness, but this ayah affirms that he came to them with the truth. Ibn Kathir notes that despite the clarity of the message and the truth it contained, most people rejected it out of stubbornness and dislike for the truth itself, not due to lack of evidence. Al-Tabari emphasizes that the rejection was rooted in their aversion to monotheism and the moral demands of Islam, not in any legitimate objection to the Prophet's sanity or character.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period of Surah Al-Mu'minun, which addresses the fundamental beliefs of Islam and the disbelievers' various objections to the Qur'an and the Prophet. The context reflects the common accusations leveled against Prophet Muhammad by the Quraysh, who used claims of madness as a rhetorical tool to discredit him among the people, despite witnessing his sound judgment and eloquence.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (4476): 'Aisha reported that the Prophet said, 'The least thing that will entitle a man to enter Paradise is that he should have mercy on creatures.' This relates to the Prophet's character and truth, contrasting with the false accusations. Also relevant is Sunan Ibn Majah where the Prophet clarified that those who reject the truth do so from their own inclinations, not from lack of clarity in the message.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that truth may be clearly presented, yet people may still reject it due to their own desires and prejudices rather than intellectual deficiency. For believers, it reinforces that opposition to Islam often stems from spiritual resistance rather than rational argument, and that steadfastness in truth despite rejection is a mark of divine guidance.