Surah Al-Qalam, Ayah 52

The Command to be Patient and to refrain from being Hasty like Yunus was

Allah says,

فَاصْبِرْ

(So wait with patience) `O Muhammad, persevere against the harm your people cause you and their rejection. For verily, Allah will give you authority over them, and make the final victory for you and your followers in this life and the Hereafter.'

وَلاَ تَكُن كَصَـحِبِ الْحُوتِ

(and be not like the Companion of the Fish) meaning, Dhun-Nun, who was Yunus bin Matta, when he went off angry with his people. Various things happened to him, such as riding on a ship at sea, being swallowed by a (large) fish, the fish carrying him off into the ocean, being in the darkness and depth of the sea and hearing the sea's and its dwellers glorification of the Most High, the Most Able (Allah). For He (Allah) is the One Whose execution of divine decree cannot be resisted. After all of this, he (Yunus) called out from the layers of darkness,

وَإِن يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِ‌هِمْ (And indeed the disbelievers seem to trip you up with their glances when they hear the Reminder, and say, "He is a madman indeed 68:51). The verb 'layuzliqunaka' is derived from izlaq which means 'to trip up or to cause someone to fall or make a mistake' [ Raghib ]. The verse says to the Holy Prophet that disbelievers cast angry looks at him that they might frighten him into giving up his mission or intimidate him into yielding to their pressure tactics. When they listen to Divine words, they call him a madman. But far from it, his teaching contains the quintessence of wisdom - the Qur'an puts it thus:

The relationship between the missionary and his addressees is a very delicate one. The missionary has to make himself pleasant-mannered unilaterally. The addressee may talk unreasonably, he may hold the missionary in contempt, and may make false allegations against him. In short, he may do anything of a discourageing nature, but the missionary must at all times abstain from negative reaction. His success is dependent upon two things—tolerance of excesses on the part of the addressee and having no expectation of material gain from him.