وَإِذَآ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَـَٔا بِجَانِبِهِۦ ۖ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ كَانَ يَـُٔوسًا 83
Translations
And when We bestow favor upon man [i.e., the disbeliever], he turns away and distances himself; and when evil touches him, he is ever despairing.
Transliteration
Wa-idha an'amna 'ala al-insani a'rada wa-na'a bi-janibihi, wa-idha massahu al-sharru kana ya'usa
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the inherent weakness and ingratitude of human nature: when blessed with favors from Allah, man turns away in arrogance and pride, but when afflicted with hardship, he falls into despair and hopelessness. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this depicts how humans oscillate between two extremes—forgetfulness of divine blessings and loss of faith during trials—reflecting a fundamental spiritual imbalance unless guided by divine wisdom and gratitude.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Isra, revealed in Mecca during a period of persecution against the early Muslim community. It appears in a section addressing human nature and behavior patterns, serving as a general description of mankind's tendency toward ingratitude and despair rather than describing any specific historical incident. The surah's broader context emphasizes the consequences of such behavior and the importance of steadfastness.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim (2999) records a hadith where the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against despair, stating that no disease is worse than despair. Additionally, Sahih Bukhari (5641) contains teachings about gratitude and patience, emphasizing that believers should maintain balance in both states of ease and hardship.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to cultivate consistent gratitude during times of blessing and steadfast patience during trials, recognizing that these oscillations between pride and despair are natural human weaknesses that require conscious spiritual discipline and reliance upon Allah to overcome.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَوْ لَا تُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦٓ إِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا
Say, "Believe in it or do not believe." Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it - when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration,
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ءَايَتَيْنِ ۖ فَمَحَوْنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلَّيْلِ وَجَعَلْنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلنَّهَارِ مُبْصِرَةً لِّتَبْتَغُوا۟ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلِتَعْلَمُوا۟ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلْحِسَابَ ۚ وَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ فَصَّلْنَـٰهُ تَفْصِيلًا
And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day visible that you may seek bounty from your Lord and may know the number of years and the account [of time]. And everything We have set out in detail.
وَقُلْ جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ ٱلْبَـٰطِلُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْبَـٰطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا
And say, "Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed is falsehood, [by nature], ever bound to depart."
وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا ۚ وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِى ٱلْقُرْءَانِ وَحْدَهُۥ وَلَّوْا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَدْبَـٰرِهِمْ نُفُورًا
And We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And when you mention your Lord alone in the Qur’ān, they turn back in aversion.