Ridicule the believers … the painful reality and the weapon of confrontation

Ridicule the believers is one of the forms of afflictions by which the believers were afflicted because belief in Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) and submission to Him means jumping over peoples' desires and temptations, and without faith everyone does whatever he likes without reckoning or supervision. Accordingly, faith to many people represents a restriction to hearts, souls, and desires that direct them to things which please Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) and not to the things which please souls; this is the reason which makes non-believers to refuse faith and confront it by all means and weapons emerging from two incentives:

The first: Intensive hatred to this faith which controls life and reminds people of the Hereafter and reckoning which are followed by reward or punishment, which is away from minds and hearts and cause them to refuse to believe in. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "And they say: When we are bones and fragments (destroyed), should we really be resurrected (to be) a new creation? * Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him) "Be you stones or iron," * Or some created thing that is yet greater (or harder) in your breasts (thoughts to be resurrected, even then you shall be resurrected). Then, they will say: Who shall bring us back (to life)? Say: He Who created you first! Then, they will shake their heads at you and say: When will that be? Say: Perhaps it is near! * On the Day when He will call you, and you will answer (His Call) with (words of) His Praise and Obedience, and you will think that you have stayed (in this world) but a little while!" [Surat Al Isra': 49 - 52].

This hatred to faith is not limited only to those who declare disbelief but it also includes some believers for they have the same hearty and intellectual refusal of faith. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "O Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him)! Let not those who hurry to fall into disbelief grieve you, of such who say: "We believe" with their mouths but their hearts have no faith. And of the Jews are men who listen much and eagerly to lies ? listen to others who have not come to you. They change the words from their places; they say, "If you are given this, take it, but if you are not given this, then beware!" And whomsoever Allâh wants to put in Al-Fitnah [error, because of his rejecting of Faith], you can do nothing for him against Allâh. Those are the ones whose hearts Allâh does not want to purify (from disbelief and hypocrisy); for them there is disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a great torment." [Surat Al Ma'idah: 41].

The second: Infidels' desire that the believers would lose faith and become lewd and criminal like them, so they would have no excellence to them in confirmation to Allah's Saying: "They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected Faith, and thus that you all become equal (like one another). So take not Auliyâ' (protectors or friends) from them, till they emigrate in the Way of Allâh (to Muhammad peace be upon him). But if they turn back (from Islâm), take (hold of) them and kill them wherever you find them, and take neither Auliyâ' (protectors or friends) nor helpers from them." [Surat An-Nisa': 89].

The danger of mockery:

The one who ponders over ridiculing faith and the believers finds it the harshest method used by the opponents of faith and the believers for the following reasons:

1- Mockery is a permanent affliction which the believers face every time. Moreover, it may happen in a place where Muslims exist or not, so it is a continuous psychological war against the believers that requires persistent and continuous confrontation and renewal of intention.

2- Mockery may be issued from some people of whom the believers think well. So, such people live with people and speak with their tongues, and claim falsely that by their sayings and actions are just mere Ijtihad that does not go beyond the limits of faith.

3- Mockery is an affliction to all believers whether their faith is strong or weak which widens the circle of fascinated people due to that affliction.

4- From among the forms of mockery and ridicule is the tries of doubting religion, its rules and directions. So, mockers do not hesitate to ridicule Hijab one time, Salah, the beard, the Shari`ah rulings or enjoining good and forbidding evil, the life of the Messenger (peace be upon him), shortening clothes, or some conceptions another time etc.

5- The criminals' ridicule of the believers aim to inflict the believers with frustration using the poverty of the poor, helplessness, or deterioration of their social status. This was embodied in the story of Noah (peace be upon him) when Allah commanded him to build a ship and his people used to ridicule him when they passed by. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they made a mockery of him. He said: If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise for your mocking." [Surat Hud: 38].

The purpose was to inflict Nuh (Noah peace be upon him) with frustration because it was difficult to their minds to believe.

Intensifying of the crisis:

Ridicule the believers is an ancient action from the time of Adam (peace be upon him) when Satan ridiculed him as he was created of clay. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "(Allâh) said: "What prevented you (O Iblîs) that you did not prostrate yourself, when I commanded you?" Iblîs said: "I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You created from clay."" [Surat Al A`raf: 12]. Almost all Prophets and Messengers suffered ridicule to the extent that ridicule was one of the Prophet's hindrance to his call and confronting the disbelievers.

That bad action has become one of the most important inflictions of the believers after it has become intensifying, its scope widened, and its sources increased. Mockers did not leave anything but mocked at it and have not overlooked the slips of Muslims but magnified them in the eyes of others and used the ignorance of others by spreading false claims and heresies.

The way of confrontation:

Ridicule is dangerous, therefore there has been a necessity to confront it. Therefore, the Qur'an put some steps to deal with it according to its status and nature, of which are the following:

1- Not to sit with those who ridicule the Ayahs of Allah in confirmation to Allah's Saying: "And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Qur'ân) that when you hear the Verses of Allâh being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allâh will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell." [Surat An-Nisa': 140]. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And when you (Muhammad peace be upon him) see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Quran) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaitan (Satan) causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.)." [Surat Al An`am: 68]. Allah (may He be Exalted) said in the description of the servants of the Compassionate: "And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity." [Surat Al Furqan: 72].

2- Refuting doubts and arguing others in their claims, and calling them to the truth with wisdom and kind preaching as Allah (may He be Exalted) said: "Invite (mankind, O Muhammad peace be upon him) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islâm) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur'ân) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Knower of those who are guided." [Surat An-Nahl: 125].

And Allah's Saying: "And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: Who will give life to these bones when they have rotted away and became dust? * Say: (O Muhammad peace be upon him): "He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is All-Knower of every creation!" * He Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold you kindle therewith. * Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth, Able to create the like of them? Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator. * Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be!" - and it is! * So, glorified is He and exalted above all that they associate with Him, and in Whose Hand is the dominion of all things: and to Him you shall be returned." [Surat Yasin: 78 - 83].

And Allah's Saying: "Then whoever disputes with you concerning him ['Isâ (Jesus)] after (all this) knowledge that has come to you [i.e. 'Isâ (Jesus) being a slave of Allâh, and having no share in Divinity], say: (O Muhammad peace be upon him) "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves - then we pray and invoke (sincerely) the Curse of Allâh upon those who lie."" [Surat Al `Imran: 61].

3- Observing patience on mockers which sometimes contains an eloquent response to them. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allah ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly), then verily! He, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend." [Surat Fussilat: 34].

4- The believers should refrain from looking at the social status of the rich, the pleasures of the world, and refrain from fulfilling their desires and lusts.

A believer must have a feeling of self-steam and must feel that he is better than any one by his faith. Moreover, a Muslim should know that the entire world is temporary no matter how long it remains because it is a passage to the Hereafter, and suffering may be one of the causes of victory. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers." [Surat Al `Imran: 139].

Superiority is always for the believers if they become truthful in their faith, hence the feelings of lowness, frustration, defeat, and give up contradict the glory of faith and the highness of the believers.