Al Ḥijr

وَلَقَد أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِي شِيَعِ الاَوَّلِينَ

وَمَا يَأْتِيهِم مّـِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ

10. “And indeed, We sent (messengers) before you among the nations of the ancients.”
11. “And there came no messenger to them, but they used to mock at him.”

The Arabic term /šiya‘/ signifies ‘a nation’ or ‘a party’ which are somehow bound and related to each other, whether be it a bound which is in the path of the truth, as Surah As-Saffat, No. 37 verse 83 says:

or be it in the path of the deviant, like Surah Al-’An‘am, No. 6, verse 159 which says:

“Verily those who divided their religion and became parties…”

Here, the verse says:

“And indeed, We sent (messengers) before you among the nations of the ancients.”

The aim was the ridiculing or the damaging of the prestige of the prophets so that the truth–seeking people might not assemble around them; or their aim was to compensate for their own weaknesses in face of the logic of the prophets. The object of their ridicule was either the simple way of life of the prophets, or that of the deprived followers of them, or the breaking up of the superstitious traditions of the people. The verse says:

“And there came no messenger to them, but they used to mock at him.”

Anyway, ridicule and mockery has constantly been the way of the pagans as against the prophets, and such is the usual case that, whenever the weapon of logic is lacking, mockery will replace one’s weapon. Therefore, a preacher must never feel desperate when facing the ridicules of some people.