وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًا أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ إِذْ جَآءَهَا ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ 13
Translations
And present to them an example: the people of the city, when the messengers came to it -
Transliteration
Wadrib lahum mathalan ashaba al-qaryati idh jaa'aha al-mursalun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet Muhammad to present to the disbelievers a parable about the people of a certain town to whom messengers were sent. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari identify this town as Antioch, and the messengers as disciples of Jesus. This ayah introduces a historical example meant to illustrate the consequences of rejecting divine guidance and the steadfastness of believers who accept the message.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ya-Sin, a Meccan chapter revealed to console the Prophet and strengthen the believers during early persecution in Mecca. The parable that follows (verses 13-29) serves as a powerful reminder to the Meccan disbelievers that rejection of messengers is not new but has occurred throughout history, always resulting in divine punishment for the rejecters and protection for the believers.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly references this ayah's revelation, the theme of messengers being rejected is reinforced in hadith literature. See Sahih Muslim's narrations on the trials faced by prophets and their communities, and various narrations in Sunan Ibn Majah about the patience of messengers in the face of rejection.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that resistance to divine truth is a recurring pattern in human history, and those who reject God's messengers face inevitable consequences. For believers, it emphasizes the importance of heeding divine guidance and learning from the examples of previous communities to avoid repeating their mistakes.