Al-An'am (The Cattle): (10) And certainly were messengers mocked before you...

Exegesis

It is known that some people, who insisted that the Messenger of God must be an angel, said this out of mockery. The Prophet's heart felt constrained upon hearing this. This was mentioned to provide relief to his heart, as nothing eases the heart's burden like sharing in the cause of affliction and grief.

It is as if he was told: "These numerous types of misconduct with which they treat you existed in previous generations toward their prophets as well; you are not unique on this path."

And His saying: {So that which they used to mock encompassed them} (verse), and its parallel is His saying: {And the evil plot encompasses none except those who plot it} (Fatir: 43).

Regarding the interpretation of {فَحَاقَ} (faḥāqa - encompassed/befell), the linguists have several meanings, all of which are closely related:

1. Al-Nadr said: It became incumbent upon them (obligatory).
2. Al-Layth said: Al-Ḥayq is what befalls a person of deceit or evil that they commit, and then it descends upon them. It means: Allah caused their plot to befall them, and their plot befell them.
3. Al-Farra’ said: {حَاقَ بِهِمْ} (ḥāqa bihim) means it overwhelmed them.
4. It is also said that {حَاقَ بِهِمْ} means that thing descended upon them.
5. Al-Zajjaj said: {حَاقَ} means it surrounded them (aḥāṭa).
6. Al-Azhari commented on Al-Zajjaj, saying that his interpretation of ḥāqa as "surrounded" is derived from al-ḥawq, which refers to what encircles the testicle (a circular enclosure).

There is another discussion concerning the word {مَا} (mā) in the phrase {مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ} (that which they used to mock). There are two opinions regarding its meaning:

1. The First Opinion: It refers to the Qur'an and the Law (Shari'ah) brought by Muhammad (peace be upon him). Under this interpretation, the verse is an example of omitting the muḍāf (the possessed noun). The implied meaning is: "So the punishment of that which they used to mock (i.e., the Law/Qur'an) encompassed them."
2. The Second Opinion: It refers to the punishment (the torment) that the Messenger warned them about its descent. Under this interpretation, there is no need for this implied omission.

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