Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (752)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(49–51) “Man never tires of praying for good; but if adversity touches him, he becomes utterly desperate and hopeless. If We let him taste mercy from Us after hardship has touched him, he will surely say, ‘This is mine, and I do not think the Hour will ever come. Yet if I am returned to my Lord, I will surely have the best with Him.’ We will certainly inform those who disbelieved of what they did, and We will certainly make them taste a terrible punishment. When We bestow favor upon man, he turns away and draws aloof; but when adversity touches him, he offers endless prayers.”

This describes the nature of man as such: his lack of patience and fortitude in both prosperity and adversity—except for those whom Allah raises from this condition to a state of perfection. He says: “Man never tires of praying for good.” That is, he never wearies of continually calling upon Allah for prosperity, wealth, children, and other worldly desires. He ceaselessly pursues them and is satisfied with neither a little nor a great deal. No matter how much of this world he obtains, he continues to seek more.

“But if adversity touches him”—that is, something unpleasant, such as illness, poverty, or other kinds of affliction—“he becomes utterly desperate and hopeless.” That is, he despairs of the mercy of Allah Most High, supposes that this affliction will destroy him, and becomes distressed when circumstances unfold contrary to what he loves and seeks.

This does not apply to those who believe and perform righteous deeds. When goodness, blessings, and things they love come to them, they thank Allah Most High and fear that His blessings may be a means of drawing them on gradually and granting them respite. If a calamity strikes their persons, wealth, or children, they remain patient and hope for their Lord’s bounty; they do not despair.

Then He, exalted is He, says: “If We let him taste”—that is, the man who never tires of praying for good but becomes utterly desperate and hopeless when adversity touches him—“mercy from Us” after the adversity that befell him, such as Allah restoring him to health after illness or enriching him after poverty, he does not thank Allah Most High. Rather, he transgresses, becomes arrogant, and says: “This is mine.” That is: It has come to me because I am worthy of it and deserve it. “And I do not think the Hour will ever come.” This is his denial of the Resurrection and his ingratitude for the blessing and mercy Allah allowed him to taste.

“Yet if I am returned to my Lord, I will surely have the best with Him.” That is: Supposing that the Hour does come and I am returned to my Lord, I will surely have the best with Him. Just as I received blessings in this world, they will be granted [to me] in the Hereafter. This is among the gravest forms of audacity and of speaking about Allah without knowledge. He therefore threatens him, saying: “We will certainly inform those who disbelieved of what they did, and We will certainly make them taste a terrible punishment”—that is, an exceedingly severe punishment.

“When We bestow favor upon man” by granting him health, provision, or something else, “he turns away” from his Lord and from thanking Him, “and draws aloof,” holding himself above others out of conceit and arrogance. “But when adversity touches him”—such as illness, poverty, or something else—“he offers endless prayers.” That is, he prays incessantly because he has no patience. Thus, he is neither patient in hardship nor grateful in prosperity, except when Allah guides him and bestows His favor upon him.

﴿٤٩-٥١﴾ ﴿لا يَسْأَمُ الإنْسَانُ مِنْ دُعَاءِ الْخَيْرِ وَإِنْ مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ فَيَئُوسٌ قَنُوطٌ * وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَذَا لِي وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِنْ رُجِعْتُ إِلَى رَبِّي إِنَّ لِي عِنْدَهُ لَلْحُسْنَى فَلَنُنَبِّئَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ * وَإِذَا أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى الإنْسَانِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَأَى بِجَانِبِهِ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ فَذُو دُعَاءٍ عَرِيضٍ﴾ . هذا إخبار عن طبيعة الإنسان، من حيث هو، وعدم صبره وجلده، لا على الخير ولا على الشر، إلا من نقله الله من هذه الحال إلى حال الكمال، فقال: ﴿لا يَسْأَمُ الإنْسَانُ مِنْ دُعَاءِ الْخَيْرِ﴾ أي: لا يمل دائمًا، من دعاء الله، في الغنى والمال والولد، وغير ذلك من مطالب الدنيا، ولا يزال يعمل على ذلك، ولا يقتنع بقليل، ولا كثير منها، فلو حصل له من الدنيا، ما حصل، لم يزل طالبًا للزيادة. ﴿وَإِنْ مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ﴾ أي: المكروه، كالمرض، والفقر، وأنواع البلايا ﴿فَيَئُوسٌ قَنُوطٌ﴾ أي: ييأس من رحمة الله تعالى، ويظن أن هذا البلاء هو القاضي عليه بالهلاك، ويتشوش من إتيان الأسباب، على غير ما يحب ويطلب. إلا الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات، فإنهم إذا أصابهم الخير والنعمة والمحاب، شكروا الله تعالى، وخافوا أن تكون نعم الله عليهم، استدراجًا وإمهالا وإن أصابتهم مصيبة، في أنفسهم وأموالهم، وأولادهم، صبروا، ورجوا فضل ربهم، فلم ييأسوا. ثم قال تعالى: ﴿وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ﴾ أي: الإنسان الذي يسأم من دعاء الخير، وإن مسه الشر فيئوس قنوط ﴿رَحْمَةً مِنَّا﴾ أي: بعد ذلك الشر الذي أصابه، بأن عافاه الله من مرضه، أو أغناه من فقره، فإنه لا يشكر الله تعالى، بل يبغى، ويطغى، ويقول: ﴿هَذَا لِي﴾ أي: أتاني لأني له أهل، وأنا مستحق له ﴿وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً﴾ وهذا إنكار منه للبعث، وكفر للنعمة والرحمة، التي أذاقها الله له. ﴿وَلَئِنْ رُجِعْتُ إِلَى رَبِّي إِنَّ لِي عِنْدَهُ لَلْحُسْنَى﴾ أي: على تقدير إتيان الساعة، وأني سأرجع إلى ربي، إن لي عنده، للحسنى، فكما حصلت لي النعمة في الدنيا، فإنها ستحصل] لي [في الآخرة وهذا من أعظم الجراءة والقول على الله بلا علم، فلهذا توعده بقوله: ﴿فَلَنُنَبِّئَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ﴾ أي: شديد جدًا. ﴿وَإِذَا أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى الإنْسَانِ﴾ بصحة، أو رزق، أو غيرهما ﴿أَعْرَضَ﴾ عن ربه وعن شكره ﴿وَنَأَى﴾ ترفع ﴿بِجَانِبِهِ﴾ عجبا وتكبرًا. ﴿وَإِنْ مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ﴾ أي: المرض، أو الفقر، أو غيرهما ﴿فَذُو دُعَاءٍ عَرِيضٍ﴾ أي: كثير جدًا، لعدم صبره، فلا صبر في الضراء، ولا شكر في الرخاء، إلا من هداه الله ومنَّ عليه.