He relieves their affliction, they turn away from Him and associate with Him the rivals they have taken besides Him. Thus these people are of two kinds—like the negators and the polytheists. One group, when affliction befalls them, neither call upon Allah, nor humbly implore Him, nor turn to Him in repentance, as He says:

“We certainly sent messengers to nations before you, then afflicted them with hardship and adversity so that they might humbly implore Us.”

“Why, then, did they not humbly implore Us when Our punishment came upon them? Instead, their hearts grew hard, and Satan made their deeds seem fair to them.”

Allah Most High also says:

“We certainly seized them with punishment, yet they did not humble themselves before their Lord, nor do they humbly implore Him.”

And Allah Most High says:

“Do they not see that they are tested once or twice every year? Yet they neither repent nor take heed.”

And Allah Most High says:

“We will surely make them taste the lesser punishment before the greater punishment, so that they may return.”

The other group humbly implore Him in adversity and turn to Him in repentance. But when He relieves their affliction, they turn away from Him, as Allah Most High says:

“When affliction touches man, he calls upon Us while lying on his side, sitting, or standing. But when We relieve his affliction, he goes on as though he had never called upon Us concerning an affliction that touched him. Thus the deeds of the transgressors are made to seem fair to them.”

And Allah Most High says:

“When We bestow blessings upon man, he turns away and withdraws; but when evil touches him, he prays at length.”

And Allah Most High says:

“When affliction touches you at sea, all those you call upon are forgotten except Him. But when He delivers you safely to land, you turn away. Man is ever ungrateful.”

And He says of the polytheists, as cited earlier:

“Then, when affliction touches you, it is to Him that you cry out.”

“Then, when He removes