Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 75

(Ayah 75) {وَ لَوْ رَحِمْنٰهُمْ وَ كَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِمْ مِّنْ ضُرٍّ … :} One interpretation of this verse is the one given by Ibn Ashur in "Al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir" and by Biqa'i in "Nazm al-Durr." It is also mentioned as a possibility in Ruh al-Ma'ani. That interpretation is that this verse is connected to verse (64): «{ حَتّٰۤى اِذَاۤ اَخَذْنَا مُتْرَفِيْهِمْ بِالْعَذَابِ اِذَا هُمْ يَجْـَٔرُوْنَ }» (Until, when We seize their affluent ones with punishment, at once they are crying out), and the verses in between are parenthetical statements, whose purpose is to mention arguments against them and to eliminate their excuses. That is, if We, out of mercy for their crying, calling, and wailing, remove the punishment coming upon them, even then they will not refrain from their rebellion, but will persist in it and continue to beat their heads against it, because disbelief and rebellion have become their natural trait, which cannot be separated from them in any way. Similarly, it is said: «{ وَ لَوْ رُدُّوْا لَعَادُوْا لِمَا نُهُوْا عَنْهُ وَ اِنَّهُمْ لَكٰذِبُوْنَ }» [ الأنعام : ۲۸ ] "And if they were returned, they would surely repeat what they were forbidden from, and indeed, they are surely liars." This interpretation is very appropriate in the context of the verses.

The second interpretation is given by Shaykh Abd al-Rahman Sa'di, that in this, the severe rebellion and stubbornness of the disbelievers is described: when they are afflicted by any calamity from Allah, for example, a famine occurs, they become helpless from hunger, they are surrounded by a storm at sea, or some epidemic befalls them, then they sincerely pray to Allah to remove it. Then, if Allah, out of mercy, removes that calamity from them, even then they persist in their disbelief and rebellion and continue to beat their heads against it, as He said: «وَ اِذَاۤ اَذَقْنَا النَّاسَ رَحْمَةً مِّنْۢ بَعْدِ ضَرَّآءَ مَسَّتْهُمْ اِذَا لَهُمْ مَّكْرٌ فِيْۤ اٰيَاتِنَا قُلِ اللّٰهُ اَسْرَعُ مَكْرًا اِنَّ رُسُلَنَا يَكْتُبُوْنَ مَا تَمْكُرُوْنَ (21) هُوَ الَّذِيْ يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ حَتّٰۤى اِذَا كُنْتُمْ فِي الْفُلْكِ وَ جَرَيْنَ بِهِمْ بِرِيْحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ وَّ فَرِحُوْا بِهَا جَآءَتْهَا رِيْحٌ عَاصِفٌ وَّ جَآءَهُمُ الْمَوْجُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَّ ظَنُّوْۤا اَنَّهُمْ اُحِيْطَ بِهِمْ دَعَوُا اللّٰهَ مُخْلِصِيْنَ لَهُ الدِّيْنَ لَىِٕنْ اَنْجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هٰذِهٖ لَنَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الشّٰكِرِيْنَ (22) فَلَمَّاۤ اَنْجٰىهُمْ اِذَا هُمْ يَبْغُوْنَ فِي الْاَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ » [ یونس : ۲۱ تا ۲۳ ] "And when We let people taste mercy after adversity has touched them, at once they devise a plot against Our verses. Say, Allah is swifter in planning. Indeed, Our messengers record what you plot. He it is Who enables you to travel on land and sea, until, when you are in ships and they sail with them with a good wind and they rejoice in it, there comes upon them a strong wind and the waves come at them from every place and they are certain that they are surrounded, they call upon Allah, making the religion sincere for Him alone: 'If You deliver us from this, we will surely be among the grateful.' But when He delivers them, at once they rebel in the land without right."

75-1. The malice and stubbornness they harbored in their hearts against Islam, and the way they were entangled in the mire of disbelief and polytheism, are described here.

The tafsir of this ayah is included with the following verse(s).