Az-Zukhruf · Makki · ayah 47 of 89

Az-Zukhruf 43:47

فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَضْحَكُونَ

“But when he brought them Our signs, at once they laughed at them.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Musa brought clear signs, and the court's first response was not to think but to laugh, before the signs had even been looked at.

A reflection

Laughing before looking

Idhā hum minhā yaḍḥakūn: at once, they laughed at them. The little word idhā marks surprise and suddenness. One commentary explains the effect. The laughter took them the moment they saw the signs. They mocked them as soon as they set eyes on them, and did not reflect on them at all.

That order matters. Thinking takes time. Laughter is instant. Someone who laughs first never gets round to thinking, because the laugh has already decided the matter.

Psychologically, quick ridicule is often a defence. When something threatens a comfortable view of the world, it is easier to make it absurd than to engage it. If it is funny, it cannot be serious. If it cannot be serious, nothing needs to change.

The court of Pharaoh had a great deal to protect. Their status, their beliefs, their whole order. A staff that became a serpent was not funny in itself. It was terrifying. The laughter was a way of not being terrified.

A man in his fifties is told by a younger colleague that his habit of shouting at staff is damaging the team. He laughs, and makes a joke about snowflakes. That evening, alone, he cannot stop thinking about it. The laugh had only bought him a few hours. By the end of the week he had apologised to two members of staff, without telling anyone why.

When you notice yourself laughing off something serious, especially something about faith, pause. Ask whether you have actually looked at it. A sign laughed at is still a sign. The question it asks is still waiting when the laughter stops.

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.