وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ ٱلضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَآئِمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُۥ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَآ إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ 12
Translations
And when affliction touches man, he calls upon Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove from him his affliction, he continues [in disobedience] as if he had never called upon Us to [remove] an affliction that touched him. Thus is made pleasing to the transgressors that which they have been doing.
Transliteration
Wa-idha massa al-insana al-durru da'ana li-janbih-i aw qa'idan aw qa-iman fa-lamma kashafna 'anhu durrah-u marra ka-an lam yad'una-na ila durrin massah-u. Kadhalika zuyyina lil-musrifina ma kanu ya'malun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the human tendency to call upon Allah in distress from any position (lying, sitting, or standing), yet when relief comes, they forget their supplication and turn away from gratitude and obedience. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this reflects the ingratitude and forgetfulness inherent in human nature, particularly among those who exceed bounds (al-musrifin), demonstrating how Allah allows the embellishment of evil deeds in the hearts of the extravagant and heedless.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Yunus, a Meccan surah that addresses fundamental aspects of human nature and belief. It comes within a broader passage critiquing human inconsistency in faith and gratitude, reflecting the Meccan period's focus on establishing tawhid and correcting misconceptions about Allah's relationship with creation.
Related Hadiths
The theme is reflected in a hadith recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah: 'When a person is afflicted with hardship and calls upon Allah, then Allah removes it, the person often forgets to thank Allah.' Additionally, Surah 41:51 carries a parallel message about human ingratitude when harm is removed.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us to maintain consistent gratitude and obedience to Allah both in times of hardship and relief, recognizing that true faith lies not in emergency prayers alone but in steadfast remembrance and thankfulness. For modern readers, it serves as a spiritual warning against the cycle of crisis-driven spirituality followed by heedless materialism.