سُوْرَةُ الزُّمَرِ
Surah Az-Zumar (39) — Ayah 8
۞ وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ ضُرٌّ دَعَا رَبَّهُۥ مُنِيبًا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلَهُۥ نِعْمَةً مِّنْهُ نَسِىَ مَا كَانَ يَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ مِن قَبْلُ وَجَعَلَ لِلَّهِ أَندَادًا لِّيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ ۚ قُلْ تَمَتَّعْ بِكُفْرِكَ قَلِيلًا ۖ إِنَّكَ مِنْ أَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلنَّارِ ﴿8﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord (Allâh Alone), turning to Him in repentance. But when He bestows a favour upon him from Himself, he forgets that for which he cried for before, and he sets up rivals to Allâh, in order to mislead others from His Path. Say: "Take pleasure in your disbelief for a while: surely you are (one) of the dwellers of the Fire!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
مَسَّ
massa
touches
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ
l-insāna
[the] man
ضُرٌّۭ
ḍurrun
adversity
دَعَا
daʿā
he calls
رَبَّهُۥ
rabbahu
his Lord
مُنِيبًا
munīban
turning
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
to Him
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
إِذَا
idhā
when
خَوَّلَهُۥ
khawwalahu
He bestows on him
نِعْمَةًۭ
niʿ'matan
a favor
مِّنْهُ
min'hu
from Himself
نَسِىَ
nasiya
he forgets
مَا
mā
(for) what
كَانَ
kāna
he used to call
يَدْعُوٓا۟
yadʿū
he used to call
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
[to] Him
مِن
min
before
قَبْلُ
qablu
before
وَجَعَلَ
wajaʿala
and he sets up
لِلَّهِ
lillahi
to Allah
أَندَادًۭا
andādan
rivals
لِّيُضِلَّ
liyuḍilla
to mislead
عَن
ʿan
from
سَبِيلِهِۦ ۚ
sabīlihi
His Path
قُلْ
qul
Say
تَمَتَّعْ
tamattaʿ
Enjoy
بِكُفْرِكَ
bikuf'rika
in your disbelief
قَلِيلًا ۖ
qalīlan
(for) a little
إِنَّكَ
innaka
Indeed, you
مِنْ
min
(are) of
أَصْحَـٰبِ
aṣḥābi
(the) companions
ٱلنَّارِ
l-nāri
(of) the Fire
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 8) ➊ { وَ اِذَا مَسَّ الْاِنْسَانَ ضُرٌّ:} After mentioning many proofs of His oneness and perfect power, and after describing the outcome of those who are grateful and those who disbelieve, Allah Almighty mentioned the nature of man in times of prosperity and adversity, and also clarified that in both states, the believer and the disbeliever, and the knowledgeable and the ignorant, are not equal. In the verse, {’’ الْاِنْسَانَ ‘‘} refers to the disbeliever and polytheist, because it is mentioned ahead: « وَ جَعَلَ لِلّٰهِ اَنْدَادًا» that when he receives a blessing, he assigns many partners to Allah. The polytheist humans mentioned here, at least in times of hardship, used to call upon Allah alone, but in our times, many who claim Islam continue to call upon others besides Allah even in hardship and during storms at sea. [ إِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ ]
➋ { دَعَا رَبَّهٗ مُنِيْبًا اِلَيْهِ :} That is, in times of pain and hardship, he calls upon his Lord with complete sincerity; at that time, he does not remember any other deity, he becomes hopeless from everyone and turns only to Allah Almighty. This is proof that deep in his heart, he knows that no other fulfiller of needs, remover of difficulties, giver, or helper can remove his hardship; the only one who can remove it is Allah alone. The meaning of {’’ مُنِيْبًا ‘‘} is that previously he used to call upon others, but in times of hardship, he leaves everyone and returns to Allah.
➌ { ثُمَّ اِذَا خَوَّلَهٗ نِعْمَةً مِّنْهُ :} Granting a blessing means removing that hardship. Any other blessing can also be meant.
➍ In {نَسِيَ مَا كَانَ يَدْعُوْۤا اِلَيْهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ: ’’ اِلَيْهِ ‘‘}, the pronoun {’’هٗ‘‘} refers to {’’ ضُرٌّ ‘‘}. The proof is this verse: «وَ اِذَا مَسَّ الْاِنْسَانَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنْۢبِهٖۤ اَوْ قَاعِدًا اَوْ قَآىِٕمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهٗ مَرَّ كَاَنْ لَّمْ يَدْعُنَاۤ اِلٰى ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهٗ » [ یونس : ۱۲ ] "And when harm touches man, he calls Us while lying on his side or sitting or standing, but when We remove from him his harm, he goes on as if he had never called Us to remove a harm that touched him."
➎ { وَ جَعَلَ لِلّٰهِ اَنْدَادًا لِّيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيْلِهٖ:} That is, not only does he go astray from the path of Allah (Islam and monotheism), but he also tries to mislead others, going around telling people that he received healing from such-and-such shrine, that he was delivered from hardship by the favor of such-and-such saint, and that his boat reached the shore due to the attention of such-and-such spiritual leader. In this way, this ignorant person fabricates false stories, presenting powerless and helpless creation as partners of Allah, and continues to mislead people.
➏ {قُلْ تَمَتَّعْ بِكُفْرِكَ قَلِيْلًا … :} It is said, tell this polytheist person to enjoy the small benefits you gain by misleading people through your disbelief and polytheism, but this is only for a short time; very soon all this will end, and you will be among the people of the Fire, dwelling forever in Hell. For further explanation of the verse, see Surah Yunus (12).
➋ { دَعَا رَبَّهٗ مُنِيْبًا اِلَيْهِ :} That is, in times of pain and hardship, he calls upon his Lord with complete sincerity; at that time, he does not remember any other deity, he becomes hopeless from everyone and turns only to Allah Almighty. This is proof that deep in his heart, he knows that no other fulfiller of needs, remover of difficulties, giver, or helper can remove his hardship; the only one who can remove it is Allah alone. The meaning of {’’ مُنِيْبًا ‘‘} is that previously he used to call upon others, but in times of hardship, he leaves everyone and returns to Allah.
➌ { ثُمَّ اِذَا خَوَّلَهٗ نِعْمَةً مِّنْهُ :} Granting a blessing means removing that hardship. Any other blessing can also be meant.
➍ In {نَسِيَ مَا كَانَ يَدْعُوْۤا اِلَيْهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ: ’’ اِلَيْهِ ‘‘}, the pronoun {’’هٗ‘‘} refers to {’’ ضُرٌّ ‘‘}. The proof is this verse: «وَ اِذَا مَسَّ الْاِنْسَانَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنْۢبِهٖۤ اَوْ قَاعِدًا اَوْ قَآىِٕمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهٗ مَرَّ كَاَنْ لَّمْ يَدْعُنَاۤ اِلٰى ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهٗ » [ یونس : ۱۲ ] "And when harm touches man, he calls Us while lying on his side or sitting or standing, but when We remove from him his harm, he goes on as if he had never called Us to remove a harm that touched him."
➎ { وَ جَعَلَ لِلّٰهِ اَنْدَادًا لِّيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيْلِهٖ:} That is, not only does he go astray from the path of Allah (Islam and monotheism), but he also tries to mislead others, going around telling people that he received healing from such-and-such shrine, that he was delivered from hardship by the favor of such-and-such saint, and that his boat reached the shore due to the attention of such-and-such spiritual leader. In this way, this ignorant person fabricates false stories, presenting powerless and helpless creation as partners of Allah, and continues to mislead people.
➏ {قُلْ تَمَتَّعْ بِكُفْرِكَ قَلِيْلًا … :} It is said, tell this polytheist person to enjoy the small benefits you gain by misleading people through your disbelief and polytheism, but this is only for a short time; very soon all this will end, and you will be among the people of the Fire, dwelling forever in Hell. For further explanation of the verse, see Surah Yunus (12).
