Those who are sent by God always have to bear ridicule in the beginning, and it may be rightly said that a Prophet is not without honour but in the beginning of his mission.
God’s Holy Prophet and Messengersa, to whom the Holy Quran was revealed, who gave us the Shariah, whose followers we are proud to be, and upon whom the Law was perfected, was received in the same manner by his people. For thirteen years he led a solitary and helpless existence in Mecca, and suffered persecution and ridicule at the hands of his enemies, until he was forced to leave the city. Who would then have known that this helpless man was to become the Imam and leader of millions?
(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Lecture Lahore, pp. 41-42)