وَإِذَآ أَذَقْنَا ٱلنَّاسَ رَحْمَةً فَرِحُوا۟ بِهَا ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ إِذَا هُمْ يَقْنَطُونَ 36
Translations
And when We let the people taste mercy, they rejoice therein, but if evil afflicts them for what their hands have put forth, immediately they despair.
Transliteration
Wa-idha adhaqna al-nasa rahmatan farihu biha wa-in tusibhum sayyiah bima qaddamat aydihim idha hum yaqnatun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes human nature's inconsistency in responding to divine blessings and trials: when people taste Allah's mercy and blessings, they rejoice in them, but when hardship befalls them as a consequence of their own deeds, they fall into despair and hopelessness. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this ayah illustrates the weakness of human faith and the tendency to forget Allah during times of ease, and to lose hope during difficulty, reflecting a lack of trust in Allah's wisdom and mercy.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ar-Rum's broader theme of reflecting on divine signs and human nature. The surah addresses the Meccan Arabs' inconsistent behavior and their forgetfulness of Allah's favors. The context emphasizes how nations and individuals cycle through prosperity and adversity, and how their responses reveal the state of their hearts and their relationship with their Creator.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest sin is that a servant despairs of the mercy of Allah' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, 'No hardship is inflicted upon a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it' (Sahih Bukhari), which relates to the ayah's mention of trials being consequences of one's deeds.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers to maintain consistent faith during both prosperity and adversity, recognizing that hardships often result from our own actions and should prompt repentance rather than despair. True believers should trust in Allah's mercy even in difficulty, understanding that trials are opportunities for spiritual growth and redemption.
Related Ayahs
لِيَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ ۚ فَتَمَتَّعُوا۟ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
So that they will deny what We have granted them. Then enjoy yourselves, for you are going to know.
ضَرَبَ لَكُم مَّثَلًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ هَل لَّكُم مِّن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُم مِّن شُرَكَآءَ فِى مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ فَأَنتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
He presents to you an example from yourselves. Do you have among those whom your right hands possess [i.e., slaves] any partners in what We have provided for you so that you are equal therein [and] would fear them as your fear of one another [within a partnership]? Thus do We detail the verses for a people who use reason.
وَمَآ أَنتَ بِهَـٰدِ ٱلْعُمْىِ عَن ضَلَـٰلَتِهِمْ ۖ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا فَهُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
And you cannot guide the blind away from their error. You will only make hear those who believe in Our verses so they are Muslims [in submission to Allāh].
فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ فَهُمْ فِى رَوْضَةٍ يُحْبَرُونَ
And as for those who had believed and done righteous deeds, they will be in a garden [of Paradise], delighted.