And Allah has mentioned this meaning in several places, condemning those who associate partners with Him after He has relieved their affliction and lavished blessings upon them. The servant then attributes those blessings to someone other than Him, worships someone other than Him, the Most High, and thanks someone else for those blessings. As Allah Most High says:

“When adversity touches people, they call upon their Lord, turning to Him in repentance. Then, when He gives them a taste of mercy from Him, some of them at once associate partners with their Lord, showing ingratitude for what We have given them. So enjoy yourselves; you will soon know.”

Allah Most High also says:

“Say, ‘Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and sea, when you call upon Him humbly and secretly, saying: If He rescues us from this, we will surely be among the grateful?’ Say, ‘Allah rescues you from it and from every distress; yet you still associate partners with Him.’”

And Allah Most High says:

“When adversity touches man, he calls upon his Lord, turning to Him in repentance. Then, when He bestows a blessing upon him from Himself, he forgets what he was praying about before and sets up rivals to Allah to lead others astray from His path. Say, ‘Enjoy your disbelief for a little while; you are indeed among the people of the Fire.’”

His words, “He forgets what he was praying about,” mean that he forgets the adversity he had been calling upon Allah to remove, as He says in Surah al-An‘ām:

“Say, ‘Tell me: if Allah’s punishment came upon you, or the Hour came upon you, would you call upon anyone other than Allah, if you are truthful?’ No! It is Him alone you would call upon, and, if He willed, He would remove the affliction about which you called upon Him, and you would forget the partners you associate with Him.”

Thus Allah, glorified be He, condemns two groups: those who neither call upon Him in adversity nor turn to Him in repentance; and those who call upon Him, humbly implore Him, and turn to Him in repentance. Then, when