سُوْرَةُ الإِسۡرَاءِ
Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 11
وَيَدْعُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ بِٱلشَّرِّ دُعَآءَهُۥ بِٱلْخَيْرِ ۖ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ عَجُولًا ﴿11﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And man invokes (Allâh) for evil as he invokes (Allâh) for good and man is ever hasty [i.e., if he is angry with somebody, he invokes (saying): "O Allâh! Curse him" and that one should not do, but one should be patient].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَيَدْعُ
wayadʿu
And prays
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ
l-insānu
the man
بِٱلشَّرِّ
bil-shari
for evil
دُعَآءَهُۥ
duʿāahu
(as) he prays
بِٱلْخَيْرِ ۖ
bil-khayri
for the good
وَكَانَ
wakāna
And is
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ
l-insānu
the man
عَجُولًۭا
ʿajūlan
ever hasty
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 {وَ يَدْعُ الْاِنْسَانُ بِالشَّرِّ : ’’ يَدْعُ ‘‘} was originally {’’يَدْعُوْ‘‘}, but in the Uthmani script of the Mushaf it was written according to how it is recited, because this waw is not pronounced, just as in: «سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ » [ العلق : ۱۸ ] the waw is also not written. Therefore, Muslims, preserving the script of this Mushaf, did not write the waw. Faraa said that if it is written with waw, it is also correct. (Ibn Ashur)
➋ {’’ دُعَآءَهٗ بِالْخَيْرِ ‘‘} was {’’كَدُعَائِهِ بِالْخَيْرِ‘‘}, and by omitting the kaf it became in the accusative case. The same meaning applies to the maf’ul mutlaq, i.e., sometimes a person, out of anger or frustration, supplicates against himself or his family to Allah, for example: “May Allah cause me to die,” “May Allah destroy you,” “May your home be ruined,” etc. In the same way, a person insists on supplicating for harm just as, in a normal state, he insists on supplicating for good for himself and his family, for example: “O Allah! Forgive us,” “O Allah! Protect us,” etc. Similarly, he hastily supplicates for the destruction and ruin of the disbelievers for not believing, even though he does not know that many of them may later come to faith. The reason is that human nature has always been very hasty. { ’’ كَانَ ‘‘ } indicates the persistence and firmness of hastiness, and the translation is according to this. {’’ عَجُوْلًا ‘‘} is an intensive form, meaning very hasty. One of the worst examples of supplicating for harm against oneself is the supplication of Abu Jahl and his companions, in which they supplicated for stones to be rained down upon themselves or for a painful punishment to be brought. See Surah Al-Anfal (32, 33).
➌ But Allah is so merciful that He does not immediately accept such supplications, and if He were to accept them, mankind would be destroyed and ruined. For details, see Surah Yunus, Ayah (11).
➋ {’’ دُعَآءَهٗ بِالْخَيْرِ ‘‘} was {’’كَدُعَائِهِ بِالْخَيْرِ‘‘}, and by omitting the kaf it became in the accusative case. The same meaning applies to the maf’ul mutlaq, i.e., sometimes a person, out of anger or frustration, supplicates against himself or his family to Allah, for example: “May Allah cause me to die,” “May Allah destroy you,” “May your home be ruined,” etc. In the same way, a person insists on supplicating for harm just as, in a normal state, he insists on supplicating for good for himself and his family, for example: “O Allah! Forgive us,” “O Allah! Protect us,” etc. Similarly, he hastily supplicates for the destruction and ruin of the disbelievers for not believing, even though he does not know that many of them may later come to faith. The reason is that human nature has always been very hasty. { ’’ كَانَ ‘‘ } indicates the persistence and firmness of hastiness, and the translation is according to this. {’’ عَجُوْلًا ‘‘} is an intensive form, meaning very hasty. One of the worst examples of supplicating for harm against oneself is the supplication of Abu Jahl and his companions, in which they supplicated for stones to be rained down upon themselves or for a painful punishment to be brought. See Surah Al-Anfal (32, 33).
➌ But Allah is so merciful that He does not immediately accept such supplications, and if He were to accept them, mankind would be destroyed and ruined. For details, see Surah Yunus, Ayah (11).
