سُوْرَةُ الْحَجِّ

Surah Al-Hajj (22) — Ayah 11

The Pilgrimage · Medinan · Juz 17 · Page 333

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وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍ ۖ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُۥ خَيْرٌ ٱطْمَأَنَّ بِهِۦ ۖ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ ٱنقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ خَسِرَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْخُسْرَانُ ٱلْمُبِينُ ﴿11﴾

Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

And among mankind is he who worships Allâh as it were, upon the edge (i.e. in doubt): if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts to disbelief after embracing Islâm). He loses both this world and the Hereafter. That is the evident loss.

Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning

وَمِنَ wamina And among
ٱلنَّاسِ l-nāsi the mankind
مَن man (is he) who
يَعْبُدُ yaʿbudu worships
ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
عَلَىٰ ʿalā on
حَرْفٍۢ ۖ ḥarfin an edge
فَإِنْ fa-in And if
أَصَابَهُۥ aṣābahu befalls him
خَيْرٌ khayrun good
ٱطْمَأَنَّ iṭ'ma-anna he is content
بِهِۦ ۖ bihi with it
وَإِنْ wa-in and if
أَصَابَتْهُ aṣābathu befalls him
فِتْنَةٌ fit'natun a trial
ٱنقَلَبَ inqalaba he turns
عَلَىٰ ʿalā on
وَجْهِهِۦ wajhihi his face
خَسِرَ khasira He has lost
ٱلدُّنْيَا l-dun'yā the world
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۚ wal-ākhirata and the Hereafter
ذَٰلِكَ dhālika That
هُوَ huwa [it]
ٱلْخُسْرَانُ l-khus'rānu (is) the loss
ٱلْمُبِينُ l-mubīnu clear

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah 11) ➊ The meaning of { وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَّعْبُدُ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى حَرْفٍ …:’’ حَرْفٍ ‘‘} is "edge," that is, he does not enter into the center of the circle of religion, but remains only at the edge, or faith does not settle in his heart, only the tongue professes Islam, just as a person stays at the edge of an army; if victory seems apparent, he joins, otherwise he flees. This verse was revealed about those Bedouin Arabs who migrated from the desert. Then, if there was blessing in life and wealth, they would express great satisfaction with Islam, and if they were afflicted with hardship and pain, they would become apostates and run back. Some among the "Mu'allafatu al-Qulub" were also in this state. (Kabir) And see Surah Al-Baqarah (17 to 20). Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said in the explanation of this verse: [ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ يَقْدَمُ الْمَدِيْنَةَ، فَيُسْلِمُ، فَإِنْ وَلَدَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ غُلَامًا وَنُتِجَتْ خَيْلُهُ قَالَ هٰذَا دِيْنٌ صَالِحٌ وَ إِنْ لَّمْ تَلِدِ امْرَأَتُهُ وَ لَمْ تُنْتَجْ خَيْلُهُ قَالَ هٰذَا دِيْنُ سَوْءٍ ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، باب { و من الناس من یعبد اللہ علی حرف } : ۴۷۴۲ ] "A man would come to Madinah, then if his wife gave birth to a boy and his mares gave birth to foals, he would say, 'This is a good religion,' and if his wife did not give birth and his mares did not foal, he would say, 'This is a bad religion.'"

➋ { انْقَلَبَ عَلٰى وَجْهِهٖ :} That is, he became an apostate and then turned back to disbelief and polytheism.

➌ {ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِيْنُ :} Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes, that is, if he sees worldly benefit and goodness, he remains steadfast in servitude, and if a trial comes and some hardship befalls him, he abandons servitude. On one side (due to hardship and calamity) the world is lost, on the other side (by abandoning servitude and becoming an apostate) the religion is lost. He stands at the edge, meaning his heart is neither on this side nor that side, just as someone stands at the edge of a building, ready to leave whenever he wishes. (Mawdih)

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

11. 1. The meaning of the word 'harf' is "edge." One who stands on the edge is unstable, meaning he does not have firmness or stability. Similarly, a person who remains in doubt and hesitation about the religion is in the same state; he does not attain steadfastness in religion because his intention is only for worldly benefits—if he continues to receive them, it is fine, otherwise, he returns to his ancestral religion, that is, disbelief and polytheism. In contrast, true Muslims are filled with faith and certainty. In some narrations, this characteristic is described regarding newly converted Bedouins (Fath al-Bari, mentioned chapter).

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

11. And among people is he who worships Allah on the edge (with doubt) [10]. If good befalls him, he is content with it; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back (to disbelief). He loses both this world and the Hereafter. That is the clear loss.

[10]
The Hypocrite Remains in Great Loss Both in This World and the Hereafter:

That is, he stands only at the border between disbelief and Islam. He does not actually enter Islam, and stands there waiting that if there is any expectation of material benefit from embracing Islam, then he is willing to accept it; but if he sees any difficulty or material loss in not entering Islam, he immediately flees from that border towards disbelief. This is generally the condition of the hypocrites. In other words, the only objective of such people is material gain. They sway in whichever direction they see benefit. Such people are at a loss both religiously and worldly. The religious loss is clear: such people will be placed in the lowest level of Hell. The worldly loss is that neither do the disbelievers consider them their sympathizers and companions, nor do the Muslims; their reputation is ruined on both sides, and, as the saying goes, "like the washerman's dog, belonging neither to the home nor the riverbank," they never receive acceptance or honor.
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