As-Saffat · Makki · ayah 14 of 182

As-Saffat 37:14

وَإِذَا رَأَوْا۟ ءَايَةً يَسْتَسْخِرُونَ

“And when they see a sign, they ridicule.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Shown a sign, the deniers do more than doubt it: they go looking for mockery and stir one another up to laugh.

A reflection

The night the moon split

Which sign did they see? Several commentators name one. A Companion said this refers to the splitting of the moon. Sahih al-Bukhari preserves the event from more than one Companion. One reported that the people of Mecca asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to show them a sign, and he showed them the moon split. Another said: the moon split into two in the time of the Messenger ﷺ, and he said, 'Bear witness'.

Now read this ayah with that night in mind. Wa-idhā raʾaw āyatan yastaskhirūn: and when they see a sign, they mock it. And the next ayah: 'They say: this is nothing but plain magic' (37:15).

The Quran describes the same moment in another surah, in almost the same words. 'The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split. And if they see a sign, they turn away and say: passing magic' (54:1-2). Two surahs, one pattern. The sign they had asked for arrived, and they had their answer ready before it faded.

That is the sobering part. They did not lack evidence. They had requested it by name. When it came, it was met not with silence or thought, but with a laugh and a label.

The echo between the two surahs is worth hearing. It tells you this was not a passing mood. It was the settled response of people who had decided in advance. What would have convinced them? The honest answer, in their case, was nothing.

It is a question worth turning on ourselves, gently. Is there any sign that would change my mind on the things I have already decided? If not, I am not waiting for evidence. I am waiting for permission.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.