وَمَآ أَصَـٰبَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُوا۟ عَن كَثِيرٍ 30
Translations
And whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.
Transliteration
Wa mā asābakum min musībatin fa-bimā kasabat aydīkum wa-ya'fū 'an kathīr
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah teaches that calamities and afflictions that befall people are consequences of their own actions and deeds, as stated by classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi. However, the verse also emphasizes Allah's mercy by noting that He pardons and overlooks many of the sins and shortcomings of His servants—meaning that Muslims experience only a portion of the consequences they truly deserve due to Allah's forbearance and grace. This balance between divine justice and divine mercy serves as both a warning against wrongdoing and an encouragement toward repentance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ash-Shuraa, a Meccan surah that addresses fundamental Islamic principles and the nature of divine wisdom. The verse fits within the broader thematic context of the surah's discussion of consultation, divine guidance, and the relationship between human responsibility and divine decree. It serves to clarify that while Muslims should consult with one another in matters, ultimate outcomes rest with Allah's justice and mercy.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'No fatigue, illness, worry, grief, hurt, or distress befalls a Muslim, not even a thorn pricks him, but Allah expiates some of his sins because of it' (Sahih Bukhari 5640). This hadith complements the ayah by explaining that even small afflictions serve as expiation for sins.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah encourages believers to reflect on their actions and their consequences while maintaining hope in Allah's boundless mercy and forgiveness. It teaches that we should accept hardships with patience and wisdom, recognizing them as opportunities for spiritual growth and expiation, rather than as arbitrary misfortunes.
Related Ayahs
وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَـَٔاتَيْنَا كُلَّ نَفْسٍ هُدَىٰهَا وَلَـٰكِنْ حَقَّ ٱلْقَوْلُ مِنِّى لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ
And if We had willed, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the word from Me will come into effect [that] "I will surely fill Hell with jinn and people all together.
فَأَنجَيْنَـٰهُ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَقَطَعْنَا دَابِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا ۖ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ
So We saved him and those with him by mercy from Us. And We eliminated those who denied Our signs, and they were not [at all] believers.
وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا ٱلْقُرُونَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا۟ ۙ وَجَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ لِيُؤْمِنُوا۟ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
And We had already destroyed generations before you when they wronged, and their messengers had come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe. Thus do We recompense the criminal people.
كَدَأْبِ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
[Theirs is] like the custom of the people of Pharaoh and those before them. They denied Our signs, so Allāh seized them for their sins. And Allāh is severe in penalty.