Surah Ash-Shu'araa (26) — Ayah 111

(Ayah 111) {قَالُوْۤا اَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ …: ’’ الْاَرْذَلُوْنَ ‘‘ ’’أَرْذَلُ‘‘} is the sound plural of (اسم تفضیل), meaning the lowest, base, despicable, those who do not possess status or wealth, the poor, the needy. This also includes those people who are associated with professions considered lowly. The ones saying this were the chiefs of the people of Noah (peace be upon him). See Surah Hud (27). From this, it is understood that most of those who believed in Noah (peace be upon him) were poor people, small tradesmen, or such youths who had no status among their people. Those who believed in our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were also such people. In the hadith of Heraclius, he asked Abu Sufyan: [ فَأَشْرَافُ النَّاسِ يَتَّبِعُوْنَهُ أَمْ ضُعَفَائُهُمْ ؟ ] "Do the high-ranking people follow him or the weak ones?" Abu Sufyan replied: "The weak ones." So Heraclius said: "These are the followers of the messengers." [ بخاري، بدء الوحي، باب کیف کان بدء الوحي… : ۷ ] Because for people of wealth and status, their wealth and status, their sense of honor and rank, and worldly interests become obstacles in accepting faith, because in accepting faith, instead of giving orders, they have to obey orders, whereas the weak are free from these obstacles. In this conversation, there is also comfort for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because the people of his nation also considered only the wealthy deserving of Allah's grace. In their view, instead of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), some wealthy chief of Mecca or Taif should have been given prophethood. In Surah Az-Zukhruf it is said: «{ وَ قَالُوْا لَوْ لَا نُزِّلَ هٰذَا الْقُرْاٰنُ عَلٰى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيْمٍ }» [ الزخرف : ۳۱ ] "And they said, 'Why was this Quran not sent down upon a great man from [one of] the two towns?'" It should be clear that it is not permissible to consider or call a believer base or despicable; rather, regarding every believer, one should think that perhaps he is better than me, as it is said: «{ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّنْ قَوْمٍ عَسٰۤى اَنْ يَّكُوْنُوْا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ } » [ الحجرات : ۱۱ ] "O you who have believed! Let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them."