سُوْرَةُ يُوْنُسَ
Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 12
وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ ٱلضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَآئِمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُۥ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَآ إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿12﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him! Thus it is made fair-seeming to the Musrifûn that which they used to do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
مَسَّ
massa
touches
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ
l-insāna
the man
ٱلضُّرُّ
l-ḍuru
the affliction
دَعَانَا
daʿānā
he calls Us
لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓ
lijanbihi
(lying) on his side
أَوْ
aw
or
قَاعِدًا
qāʿidan
sitting
أَوْ
aw
or
قَآئِمًۭا
qāiman
standing
فَلَمَّا
falammā
But when
كَشَفْنَا
kashafnā
We remove
عَنْهُ
ʿanhu
from him
ضُرَّهُۥ
ḍurrahu
his affliction
مَرَّ
marra
he passes on
كَأَن
ka-an
as if he
لَّمْ
lam
(had) not
يَدْعُنَآ
yadʿunā
called Us
إِلَىٰ
ilā
for
ضُرٍّۢ
ḍurrin
(the) affliction
مَّسَّهُۥ ۚ
massahu
(that) touched him
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
زُيِّنَ
zuyyina
(it) is made fair seeming
لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ
lil'mus'rifīna
to the extravagant
مَا
mā
what
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they used (to)
يَعْمَلُونَ
yaʿmalūna
do
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 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.”
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.”
