Surah Yunus: Verse 12 - وإذا مس الإنسان الضر دعانا... - English
Tafsir of Verse 12, Surah Yunus
English Translation
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 doingEnglish Transliteration
Waitha massa alinsana alddurru daAAana lijanbihi aw qaAAidan aw qaiman falamma kashafna AAanhu durrahu marra kaan lam yadAAuna ila durrin massahu kathalika zuyyina lilmusrifeena ma kanoo yaAAmaloonaTafsir of Verse 12
An eloquent approach has been made in the second verse (12) to convince those who denied that Allah was One (Tauhid) and that there was a life to come ('Akhirah). It was said: When conditions are normal, people would find time to engage in debating the nature and existence of God and the Hereafter. They would feel free to ascribe all sorts of partners and associates to His pristine divinity and look forward to them in the hope that they would respond at their hour of need. But, as soon as some major distress overtakes them, even these very people, disappointed by the entire range of their false gods they pinned their hopes on, do nothing but call Allah for help, not simply once but repeatedly, lying, sitting, standing. They have no choice. They must invoke Him for help. However, along with this attitude, certainly terrible is their ingratitude. When Allah Ta` ala removes their distress, they forget all about Him becoming so disconnected and indifferent to Him as if they had never called Him and never sought His help in their hour of need. This tells us that those who associate anyone or anything else with Allah Ta` ala in His exclusive domain as the Dispenser of all that is needed by His creation do themselves get to experience the demolition of this belief of theirs. But, because of their hostility and obstinacy, they keep glued to their false notion.
Man remembers Allah at Times of Adversity and forgets Him at Times of Prosperity
Allah tells us about man and how he becomes annoyed and worried when he is touched with distress.
(but when evil touches him, then he has recourse to long supplications.)41:51 `Long supplications' also means many supplications. When man suffers adversity he becomes worried and anxious. So he supplicates more. He prays to Allah to lift and remove the adversity. He prays while standing, sitting or laying down. When Allah removes his adversity and lifts his distress, he turns away and becomes arrogant. He goes on as if nothing were wrong with him before.
(He passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him!) Allah then criticized and condemned those who have these qualities or act this way, so He said:
(Thus it is made fair seeming to the wasteful that which they used to do.) But those on whom Allah has bestowed good guidance and support are an exception.
(Except those who have patience believe and do righteous good deeds.) 11:11 The Prophet said:
(How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this is not the case with anyone except a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah, and that is good for him. And if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is also good for him.)
