قُلِ ٱللَّهُ يُنَجِّيكُم مِّنْهَا وَمِن كُلِّ كَرْبٍ ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ 64
Translations
Say, "It is Allāh who saves you from it and from every distress; then you [still] associate others with Him."
Transliteration
Qul Allahu yunajjikum minha wa min kulli karbin thumma antum tushrikun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet (ﷺ) to tell the people that Allah alone is the One who delivers them from distress and every hardship, yet despite this clear manifestation of His power and mercy, they persist in associating partners with Him. Ibn Kathir explains this as highlighting the contradiction of human nature—recognizing Allah's exclusive power in times of crisis while reverting to shirk in times of ease—demonstrating both Allah's patience with His creation and the ingratitude of those who forget their Lord's favors.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-An'am, which emphasizes monotheism and refutes polytheistic practices of the Quraysh. The ayah is part of a broader passage addressing the hypocrisy of the idolaters who called upon Allah alone in times of danger but returned to idol worship when safe. This reflects the common Meccan pattern of calling out such contradictions.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'When a man is afflicted with a calamity and says, "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un" (Indeed we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return), Allah will compensate him with reward and a better replacement.' This hadith complements the ayah's theme of turning to Allah in times of distress.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that true faith requires consistency in recognizing Allah's sovereignty in both hardship and ease, rather than selectively calling upon Him only in times of crisis. It encourages believers to maintain gratitude and monotheistic devotion regardless of circumstances, avoiding the trap of compartmentalizing our reliance on Allah.
Related Ayahs
يَـٰمَعْشَرَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِى وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـٰذَا ۚ قَالُوا۟ شَهِدْنَا عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِنَا ۖ وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَشَهِدُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ كَـٰفِرِينَ
"O company of jinn and mankind, did there not come to you messengers from among you, relating to you My verses and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "We bear witness against ourselves"; and the worldly life had deluded them, and they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.
وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ ٱللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُۥٓ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
And if Allāh should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him. And if He touches you with good - then He is over all things competent.
وَمِنَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ حَمُولَةً وَفَرْشًا ۚ كُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
And of the grazing livestock are carriers [of burdens] and those [too] small. Eat of what Allāh has provided for you and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.
وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا يَـٰمَعْشَرَ ٱلْجِنِّ قَدِ ٱسْتَكْثَرْتُم مِّنَ ٱلْإِنسِ ۖ وَقَالَ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُم مِّنَ ٱلْإِنسِ رَبَّنَا ٱسْتَمْتَعَ بَعْضُنَا بِبَعْضٍ وَبَلَغْنَآ أَجَلَنَا ٱلَّذِىٓ أَجَّلْتَ لَنَا ۚ قَالَ ٱلنَّارُ مَثْوَىٰكُمْ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ
And [mention, O Muḥammad], the Day when He will gather them together [and say], "O company of jinn, you have [misled] many of mankind." And their allies among mankind will say, "Our Lord, some of us made use of others, and we have [now] reached our term which You appointed for us." He will say, "The Fire is your residence, wherein you will abide eternally, except for what Allāh wills. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing."