وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُم بِٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ 42
Translations
And We have already sent [messengers] to nations before you, [O Muḥammad]; then We seized them with poverty and hardship that perhaps they might humble themselves [to Us].
Transliteration
Wa-laqad arsalnā ilā umamin min qablika fa-akhazhnāhum bil-ba'sā'i wa-d-darrā'i la'allahum yatadarra'ūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah informs the Prophet Muhammad that He sent messengers to nations before him, and when those nations rejected the message, He tested them with hardship and adversity, hoping they would turn to Him in humble supplication. This ayah demonstrates Allah's pattern of sending trials as a means of guidance and spiritual awakening. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that these tribulations were divine mercies designed to encourage repentance and return to obedience, rather than mere punishments.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-An'am and provides historical context to the Meccan Muslims facing persecution. It reminds them that the pattern of testing the believers is not unique to their time but has been the way of Allah throughout history with previous nations and their prophets.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad said: 'The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allah loves people, He tests them. Whoever accepts that wins His pleasure; whoever is discontent earns His wrath' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, 'No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that' (Sahih Bukhari).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that trials and hardships are not signs of Allah's abandonment but are often His way of drawing us closer to Him and purifying our souls. Modern believers facing difficulties should respond with increased humility, supplication, and trust in Allah's wisdom, recognizing that adversity can be a catalyst for spiritual growth and sincere turning back to the Divine.