Surah Al-Mutaffifin — Verse 31

Word Meanings:

• انقَلَبُوا (Inqalabū): They returned or went back.
• إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِمُ (Ilā ahlihim): To their families and households.
• فَكِهِينَ (Fakihīn): Rejoicing, delighting, feeling pleased and amused — often with a sense of smugness or self-satisfaction.

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse continues to describe the behaviour of the wicked criminals (the disbelievers and mockers) in this worldly life. After the previous verses mentioned how they would wink and gesture at the believers when passing by them, mocking them silently, this verse tells us what they did when they returned to their own families and homes.

When these criminals went back to their families and relatives, they would return in a state of joy and amusement — feeling pleased with themselves and their mockery of the believers. They would sit with their families and recount the stories of how they ridiculed the believers, laughing and making fun of them, taking great delight in their own arrogance and disbelief. They felt a sense of superiority and pride in their mockery, as if they had achieved something great by belittling those who followed the truth.

This shows the depth of their corruption — not only did they mock the believers in public, but they carried this mockery into their private lives, making it a source of entertainment and bonding with their families. Their hearts were so hardened that they found joy in deriding the people of faith, rather than feeling any shame or regret.

A Call to Reflection and Faith:

Dear reader, ponder how these people made mockery of the believers their pastime and their source of happiness. They thought they were clever and victorious, yet they were blind to the reality that the true victory belongs to those who follow the truth, even if they are few and seemingly weak in this world.

The believer, on the other hand, finds his joy and contentment in the obedience of Allah, in the company of the righteous, and in the hope of Allah’s mercy and Paradise. The temporary laughter of the mockers will soon turn into everlasting regret, while the patient perseverance of the believers will turn into eternal bliss.

Do not let the mockery of the disbelievers ever sadden you or shake your faith. Their laughter is but a fleeting moment in this short life, while the reward of Allah for those who remain steadfast is immense and everlasting. Allah sees all that they do, and He has promised that the tables will turn — on the Day of Judgment, it will be the believers who laugh at the disbelievers, just as the disbelievers laughed at them in this world.

So hold firm to your faith, seek the company of the righteous, and find your joy in the remembrance of Allah and the hope of His mercy. For the end is for the righteous, and the final victory belongs to the believers.