Al-Kahf (The Cave)

56. “And We do not send the messengers save as bearers of good tidings and warners, but those who disbelieve dispute with falsehood in order to refute the Truth thereby; and they have taken My signs, and what they are warned of, in mockery.”

The prophets’ mission is to give glad tidings to the believers and to warn the disobedient, but with no compulsion upon people to accept the Truth. It is by the prophets (as) that Allah completes the argument to humankind.

By the way, awareness of Allah’s way of treatment and the prophets’ messengership, the reaction of people, and the end of the arrogant nations, is a kind of consolation for the Prophet (S). Therefore, in order to comfort the Prophet (S) against the arrogance and obstinacy of the opponents, the Qur’an says that his duty is only to give good tidings and to warn.

The verse says:

“And We do not send the messengers save as bearers of good tidings and warners…”

Then the verse implies that this is not a new matter that such people oppose the Truth and mock it, but disbelievers always dispute with falsehood. They imagine that they can refute the Truth with it and, therefore, they take Allah’s revelations and His punishments, which they are promised to, in mockery.

The verse says:

“…but those who disbelieve dispute with falsehood in order to refute the Truth thereby; and they have taken My signs, and what they are warned of, in mockery.”

In fact, their dispute on the way of proving the falsehood was to force the Prophet (S) to bring some verses and miracles alongside their desires, so that if he did not do as they wished, they would take it as a proof and introduce his Book, the Qur’an, invalid. Thus, the disbelievers used to apply the Qur’an, the Resurrection, and the Fire of Hell as a means of mockery.