Surah An-Najm — Verse 60

Word Meanings:

• Wa tadḥakūn (وَتَضْحَكُونَ): You laugh, mocking and ridiculing.
• Wa lā tabkūn (وَلَا تَبْكُونَ): And you do not weep out of fear and reverence for Allah’s warnings.

Explanation of the Verse:

In this verse, Allah — the Most High — addresses the disbelievers of Quraysh with a tone of gentle yet firm rebuke, asking them: Do you wonder at this Qur’an and find it strange that it could be true? Then you laugh at it in mockery and scorn, and you do not weep when you hear its admonitions and warnings of punishment.

The verse highlights a profound spiritual inversion: when the Qur’an is recited, the hearts of the believers soften, their eyes shed tears of awe and repentance, and their souls tremble before the majesty of Allah’s words. But these disbelievers, when they hear the verses that warn of the Day of Judgment, the Fire, and the consequences of sin, respond with laughter and derision instead of reflection and humility. They treat the most serious message — the call to salvation — as a joke, and they turn away from it in heedlessness and pride.

This is a call to every soul to examine its reaction to the Qur’an: Do we weep when we hear about the Hellfire and the standing before Allah? Do our hearts soften when we hear the promises of Paradise and the mercy of the Almighty? Or do we pass by the verses as if they do not concern us?

The verse concludes with a command to prostrate to Allah alone, to dedicate worship purely to Him, and to submit all affairs to His will. It is an invitation to break the chains of arrogance and heedlessness, and to return to the Creator with a humble, tearful heart — for the one who weeps out of fear of Allah in this world will find joy and security in the Hereafter.

A Call to Reflection:

Dear reader, the Qur’an is not a book to be mocked or taken lightly. It is the living word of Allah, sent as a mercy and a guide. When you hear its verses, let your heart respond — weep if you must, for tears of repentance are a sign of life in the soul. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The Qur’an was sent down with sorrow, so when you read it, weep; and if you cannot weep, then pretend to weep.” (Ibn Mājah)

Let this verse be a turning point: replace laughter with tears, mockery with reflection, and heedlessness with submission. Prostrate to your Lord, and let your whole being bow to His majesty — for that is the key to peace in this life and success in the next.