۞ 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
Translations
And when adversity touches man, he calls upon his Lord, turning to Him [alone]; then when He bestows on him a favor from Himself, he forgets Him whom he called upon before, and he attributes to Allāh equals to mislead [people] from His way. Say, "Enjoy your disbelief for a little; indeed, you are of the companions of the Fire."
Transliteration
Wa-idha massa al-insana durrun da'a rabbahu muniban ilayhi thumma idha khawwalahu ni'matan minhu nasiya ma kana yad'u ilayhi min qablu wa ja'ala lillahi andadan li-yudilla 'an sabilihi. Qul tamatta' bi-kufrika qalilan innaka min ashab al-nar.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the human tendency toward ingratitude and hypocrisy: when afflicted with hardship, people sincerely call upon Allah, but once blessed with prosperity, they forget their former devotion and associate partners with Allah. Ibn Kathir notes this reflects the instability of faith without firm conviction, while Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that this behavior stems from heedlessness and spiritual blindness. Allah's warning that such people will taste the Fire serves as a stern rebuke to those who abandon monotheism upon receiving worldly favors.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a Meccan surah addressing the polytheists of Quraysh and their rejection of tawhid (monotheism). The context reflects the broader Meccan period's focus on condemning shirk (associating partners with Allah) and highlighting humanity's moral inconsistency. The surah emphasizes that true servitude requires consistent devotion regardless of circumstance.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The most despised person to Allah is the most arrogant' (Sahih Bukhari 3895), relating to the arrogance of those who forget Allah in times of prosperity. Additionally, 'When a servant is tested with hardship and remembers Allah, his sins fall away like leaves from a tree' (At-Tirmidhi), contrasting the positive outcome of those who maintain remembrance during trials.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that true faith must be consistent through both hardship and ease; prosperity is a test of gratitude and monotheism as much as adversity is a test of patience. We must guard against allowing worldly blessings to distance us from Allah and cultivate a steadfast commitment to tawhid that transcends our circumstances.