Surah Ash-Shura (42) — Ayah 30

(Ayah 30) ➊ { وَ مَاۤ اَصَابَكُمْ مِّنْ مُّصِيْبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ اَيْدِيْكُمْ:} The blessings and signs of Allah Almighty are being mentioned; in this context, after people lose hope in rain, the sending down of rain is mentioned. A question could arise: if Allah Almighty is so merciful, then why does He withhold rain? It is said, whatever calamity befalls you is the result of what your own hands have earned. These could be sins, or any shortcoming in fulfilling the rights of the immense favors Allah Almighty has bestowed upon the highly ranked individuals. That is why even the Prophets seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ وَاللّٰهِ ! إِنِّيْ لَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللّٰهَ وَ أَتُوْبُ إِلَيْهِ فِي الْيَوْمِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ سَبْعِيْنَ مَرَّةً ] [ بخاري، الدعوات، باب استغفار النبي صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم في الیوم واللیلۃ : ۶۳۰۷ ] "By Allah! I seek forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy (70) times a day." The outcome of these calamities that befall a person is not the same for a believer and a disbeliever; rather, for the disbeliever, they are a punishment, as He said: «وَ لَنُذِيْقَنَّهُمْ مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ الْاَدْنٰى دُوْنَ الْعَذَابِ الْاَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُوْنَ » [ السجدۃ : ۲۱ ] "And surely We will make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater punishment, so that they may return." And for the believer, they become a means of forgiveness of sins, reward, and elevation of ranks. Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri and Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrate that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَا يُصِيْبُ الْمُسْلِمَ مِنْ نَصَبٍ، وَلاَ وَصَبٍ، وَلاَ هَمٍّ ، وَلاَ حُزْنٍ، وَلاَ أَذًی، وَلاَ غَمٍّ، حَتَّی الشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا، إِلاَّ كَفَّرَ اللّٰهُ بِهَا مِنْ خَطَايَاهُ ] [ بخاري، المرضٰی، باب ما جاء في کفارۃ المرض : ۵۶۴۱، ۵۶۴۲ ] "Whatever pain, injury, worry, sorrow, harm, or grief befalls a believer, even a thorn that pricks him, Allah Almighty removes some of his sins through it." Here is a famous question: are the calamities that befall children and the insane also the result of their deeds? The answer is that the address in the verse is to those who are accountable; children and the insane are not accountable, nor do the calamities that befall them come because of their sins, rather they come under the wisdom of Allah Almighty, which He knows best.

The evidence that illness and calamity become a means of reward and elevation of ranks is found in the verses of the Noble Qur'an, for example, Surah At-Tawbah (9:120), as well as many hadiths. Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was suffering from fever. I said: "O Messenger of Allah! You suffer from a very severe fever." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ أَجَلْ، إِنِّيْ أُوْعَكُ كَمَا يُوْعَكُ رَجُلاَنِ مِنْكُمْ، قُلْتُ ذٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ لَكَ أَجْرَيْنِ ؟ قَالَ أَجَلْ ذٰلِكَ كَذٰلِكَ، مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يُصِيْبُهُ أَذًی، شَوْكَةٌ فَمَا فَوْقَهَا إِلاَّ كَفَّرَ اللّٰهُ بِهَا سَيِّئَاتِهِ، كَمَا تَحُطُّ الشَّجَرَةُ وَرَقَهَا ] [ بخاري، المرضٰی، باب أشد الناس بلاء الأنبیاء ثم الأمثل فالأمثل : ۵۶۴۸ ] "Yes, I suffer as much fever as two men among you." I said: "Is it because you will have a double reward?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes! That is the case. No Muslim is afflicted with any harm, even if it is a thorn or more than that, but Allah Almighty causes his sins to fall away with it, just as a tree sheds its leaves."

➋ { وَ يَعْفُوْا عَنْ كَثِيْرٍ:} For its explanation, see the exegesis of Surah An-Nahl (16:61) and Surah Fatir (35:45).

30. 1. Some sins are atoned for by those hardships that befall you as a consequence of your sins, and there are some sins that Allah Almighty forgives outright, and Allah's Being is Most Generous; after forgiving, He will not hold one accountable for them in the Hereafter.

30. And whatever misfortune befalls you is because of what your own hands have earned [45], and He pardons much of your sins [46].

[45]
Types of Calamities and Their Various Causes:

Here, a general principle has been stated that most punishments, such as famine, epidemics, earthquakes, and floods, etc., are the result of people's own evil deeds. A similar punishment of famine was also inflicted upon the people of Makkah, which lasted for seven years. The rains stopped, and the import of grain from outside also ceased. During this period, people were so desperate that they were forced to eat the skins and bones of animals. Due to the severity of hunger, when they looked towards the sky, they saw nothing but smoke. And this famine was sent upon the disbelievers of Makkah due to the supplication of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Eventually, Abu Sufyan came to you ﷺ and pleaded by the bond of kinship and requested you to pray for rain, so by your ﷺ supplication, this calamity was removed. In other words, when punishment comes due to the evil deeds of most people, it engulfs all of creation. To understand this, consider that most diseases afflict a person due to dietary indiscretion, and suckling infants are affected due to the mother's indiscretion. However, there are some exceptions to this principle. For example, the hardships that befall faithful servants are not the result of their evil deeds, but rather become an atonement for their sins. Even if a believer is pricked by a thorn, it becomes an atonement for some mistake. Then, there is a type of calamity and hardship that befalls the prophets of Allah and sincere servants in the path of truth. Regarding these, the concept of atonement for sins is entirely incorrect. Through these, Allah elevates the ranks of these noble personalities, and such calamities are faced most by the prophets of Allah, and then, in degrees, by other sincere servants.

[46] That is, if Allah were to send calamities upon His servants for every evil deed, they would not survive even a few days. It is Allah's mercy that He does not hold people accountable for most sins; otherwise, this earth would become uninhabited by humans.