سُوْرَةُ الْحَجِّ
Surah Al-Hajj (22) — Ayah 11
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 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).
