لَّا يَسْـَٔمُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مِن دُعَآءِ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَإِن مَّسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ فَيَـُٔوسٌ قَنُوطٌ 49
Translations
Man is not weary of supplication for good [things], but if evil touches him, he is hopeless and despairing.
Transliteration
Lā yasamul-insānu min duʿāʾil-khayri wa-in massahu ash-sharru fayaʾūsun qanūṭ
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the nature of human disposition: man never tires of praying for and seeking good, yet when afflicted with hardship, he becomes despondent and loses all hope. Ibn Kathir explains this reflects the human tendency toward ingratitude and impatience—quick to ask for blessings but quick to despair when tested. Al-Qurtubi notes this ayah highlights a fundamental character flaw in those who lack true faith and trust in Allah's wisdom, as believers understand that trials are temporary and serve divine purposes.
Revelation Context
Surah Fussilat is a Meccan surah revealed during a period when the Prophet faced intense opposition and rejection from the Quraysh. This ayah is part of a broader thematic discussion about human nature and the characteristics of those who reject faith. It reflects the Meccan period's emphasis on understanding human psychology and the consequences of spiritual negligence.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest sin is despair of Allah's mercy' (reported by various scholars as a principle of Islamic teaching). Additionally, the hadith 'Whoever enters into despair has disbelieved in Allah's mercy' relates to the theme of qunūṭ (despair) mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to cultivate patience and trust in Allah during hardships, recognizing that despair is a spiritual disease that contradicts true faith. We should strive to maintain the same eagerness in seeking Allah's help during trials as we do in seeking His blessings, understanding that both prosperity and adversity are divine tests meant to purify our souls.
Related Ayahs
وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَانًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ ءَايَـٰتُهُۥٓ ۖ ءَا۬عْجَمِىٌّ وَعَرَبِىٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍۭ بَعِيدٍ
And if We had made it a foreign [i.e., non-Arabic] Qur’ān, they would have said, "Why are its verses not explained in detail [in our language]? Is it a foreign [recitation] and an Arab [messenger]?" Say, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure." And those who do not believe - in their ears is deafness, and it is upon them blindness. Those are being called from a distant place.
۞ قُلْ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْأَرْضَ فِى يَوْمَيْنِ وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُۥٓ أَندَادًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds."
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَا تَسْمَعُوا۟ لِهَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ وَٱلْغَوْا۟ فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ
And those who disbelieve say, "Do not listen to this Qur’ān and speak noisily during [the recitation of] it that perhaps you will overcome."
وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَتِرُونَ أَن يَشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ سَمْعُكُمْ وَلَآ أَبْصَـٰرُكُمْ وَلَا جُلُودُكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن ظَنَنتُمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
And you were not covering [i.e., protecting] yourselves, lest your hearing testify against you or your sight or your skins, but you assumed that Allāh does not know much of what you do.