وَيَدْعُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ بِٱلشَّرِّ دُعَآءَهُۥ بِٱلْخَيْرِ ۖ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ عَجُولًا 11
Translations
And man supplicates for evil [when angry] as he supplicates for good, and man is ever hasty.
Transliteration
Wa yad'u al-insānu bi-ash-sharri du'ā'ahu bi-al-khayr wa kāna al-insānu 'ajūlā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the human tendency to invoke evil upon himself with the same urgency and fervor that he invokes good, revealing the hastiness and impatience inherent in human nature. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir explain this as referring to a person who, in moments of anger or distress, curses himself, his family, or his wealth—forgetting that such invocations may be answered by Allah. The ayah concludes by emphasizing that impatience ('ajal) is a defining characteristic of mankind, leading him to make hasty decisions and supplications without reflection.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-Isra, which addresses various aspects of human nature and behavior. The context follows discussions of human ingratitude and disobedience. While no specific historical asbab al-nuzul is recorded for this particular verse, it reflects the broader Meccan theme of critiquing human weakness and the need for divine guidance. The surah emphasizes the consequences of human choices and the importance of patience and gratitude.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Do not curse yourselves, do not curse your children, do not curse your wealth, lest you coincide with an hour in which Allah grants [the curse]' (Sunan Abu Dawud 5090). Additionally, the Prophet warned against hasty supplications: 'None of you should invoke curse upon himself, curse upon his children, or curse upon his wealth' (Sahih Muslim 3009).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to be mindful of our words and supplications, especially during moments of anger or distress, as they may be answered by Allah. We must cultivate patience, reflection, and conscious awareness before invoking anything upon ourselves or others, recognizing that hasty speech can have serious spiritual consequences.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْبَصَرَ وَٱلْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْـُٔولًا
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
إِذًا لَّأَذَقْنَـٰكَ ضِعْفَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ وَضِعْفَ ٱلْمَمَاتِ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ عَلَيْنَا نَصِيرًا
Then [if you had], We would have made you taste double [punishment in] life and double [after] death. Then you would not find for yourself against Us a helper.
وَٱخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا
And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small."
ذَٰلِكَ جَزَآؤُهُم بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَقَالُوٓا۟ أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَـٰمًا وَرُفَـٰتًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ خَلْقًا جَدِيدًا
That is their recompense because they disbelieved in Our verses and said, "When we are bones and crumbled particles, will we [truly] be resurrected [in] a new creation?"