Hawzah News Agency – Someone hired out a camel to go from Cairo to Abbaseye. The traveller climbed on to the camel’s back and the guide held on to the bridle of the camel and walked alongside them. During their travel, the guide would quietly, and sometimes loudly, mock and make fun of his customer. But since the traveller was alone, foreign and in need, the guide continued with his audacious behaviour throughout.

During this trip, a person saw this occurrence and asked the traveller if he knew what the guide was muttering? The traveller replied affirmatively. So he was asked why he continued to put up with it. The traveller replied: If the guide takes me to my destination and the path he is taking through is correct, what he says is not important.

In Surah Mutaffifeen (The Stinters), a number of different ways in which the sinners mock and humiliate the believers:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا كَانُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يَضْحَكُونَ

“Behold, the sinners were laughing at the believers.” 1

وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِهِمْ يَتَغَامَزُونَ

"When them passed them by winking at one another.” 2

وَإِذَا انقَلَبُوا إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِمُ انقَلَبُوا فَكِهِينَ

“And when they returned to their people they returned blithely.”3

وَإِذَا رَأَوْهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ لَضَالُّونَ

“And when they saw them they said, 'Lo, these men are astray’!”4
However, the perseverance of the believers in not giving up their path pays of;

فَالْيَوْمَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ

“So today the believers are laughing at the unbelievers.”5

1. Surah Mutafiffen 83:29

2. Surah Mutafiffen 83:30

3. Surah Mutafiffen 83:31

4. Surah Mutafiffen 83:32

5. Surah Mutafiffen 83:34

Taken from "Parables: Important questions & Simple answers" written by Muhsin Qara'ati