Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 12

(Ayah 12) {وَ اِذَا مَسَّ الْاِنْسَانَ الضُّرُّ … :} Here, by {’’ الْاِنْسَانَ ‘‘} is meant most people, which includes disbelievers and polytheists, because they are being mentioned before and after, and they too call upon Allah in times of distress, then after their objective is fulfilled, they completely forget Him. Some believers are also like this. That is, man is so weak and helpless that as soon as any hardship befalls him, he calls upon Allah in every state—lying down, sitting, and standing—but his disloyalty is such that as soon as the hardship is removed, he becomes intoxicated with his former arrogance and does not learn any lesson from his suffering and hardship. The habit of man has been mentioned in several verses. See Ha Mim As-Sajdah (51), Az-Zumar (49), and Hud (10, 11). Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Allah has condemned here only those people whose way of supplication is like this. However, those whom Allah has blessed with guidance and His special grace are not included among them, because they call upon and remember Allah in every state, whether in hardship or ease. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ عَجَبًا لِأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنَّ أَمْرَهٗ كُلَّهٗ لَهٗ خَيْرٌ وَلَيْسَ ذٰلِكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلاَّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهٗ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهٗ، وَ إِنْ أَصَابَتْهٗ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهٗ ] [ مسلم، الزہد، باب المؤمن أمرہ کلہ خیر : ۲۹۹۹، عن صہیب رضی اللہ عنہ ] “The affair of the believer is amazing, for all his affairs are good, and this is for no one except the (complete) believer. If something good happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him; and if some hardship befalls him, he is patient, and that is also good for him.” {’’مُسْرِفِيْنَ‘‘} (transgressors) do not attain this blessing; rather, for them, their evil deeds have been made attractive, just like the people mentioned in this verse. As for who made their deeds attractive for them, the verse does not mention it, because it can be several things: (1) Satan, as He said: «{ وَ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطٰنُ اَعْمَالَهُمْ }» [ النمل : ۲۴ ] “And Satan made their deeds attractive to them.” (2) The self, as He said: «{ اِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَاَمَّارَةٌۢ بِالسُّوْٓءِ }» [ یوسف : ۵۳ ] “Indeed, the self is ever commanding to evil.”

The lesson for us in this is that we should not decrease in the remembrance of Allah and supplication even after the hardship is removed. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ سَرَّهٗ أَنْ يَّسْتَجِيْبَ اللّٰهُ لَهٗ عِنْدَ الشَّدَائِدِ وَالْكُرَبِ فَلْيُكْثِرِ الدُّعَاءَ فِي الرَّخَاءِ] [ ترمذی، کتاب الدعوات، باب أن دعوۃ المسلم مستجابۃ : ۳۳۸۲، و حسنہ الألباني ] “Whoever wishes that Allah answers his supplication in times of hardship and distress, let him supplicate abundantly in times of ease.”

12. 1 This describes the state of humans which is the habit of the majority of people. In fact, even many believers in Allah commonly fall into this shortcoming: in times of hardship, there is much remembrance of Allah, prayers are made, and repentance and seeking forgiveness are observed. But when Allah removes that difficult time of hardship, then they become heedless of supplicating and pleading in the court of Allah, and they are not even granted the ability to thank Allah for accepting their prayers and saving them from the trial and hardship.

12. 2 This can be from Allah as a test and respite, it can also be from Satan through whispers, and it can also be from the human self, which incites a person to evil. However, only those who exceed the limits fall prey to it. Here, the meaning is that for them, turning away from supplication, heedlessness of gratitude to Allah, and being occupied with desires and lusts have been made attractive.

12. And when affliction touches man, he calls upon Us, lying on his side, or sitting, or standing. But when We remove his affliction from him, he passes on as if he had never called upon Us for the affliction that touched him. Thus the deeds of the transgressors are made fair-seeming to them.

[18]
Polytheistic Acts Only Seem Pleasing in Times of Prosperity:

One habit of man is that he curses others or himself and wishes that his curse be fulfilled as soon as possible, the inevitable result of which is the destruction of all people. His second habit is that when a calamity befalls him, he sincerely calls upon Allah and makes various promises to Allah, but when Allah removes that calamity, he forgets everything—neither does he remember Allah nor the promises he made to Him. Then he begins to remember his self-made helpers and problem-solvers, just as the Quraysh of Makkah did. When, through your ﷺ supplication, the famine was removed, those people resumed their same rebelliousness, evil deeds, attachment to their idols, and previous activities against the true religion. The hearts that had turned to Allah in times of hardship once again became immersed in their former ways and heedlessness, and they began to find pleasure and goodness in those very acts.