Allah tells us that when He makes men feel His mercy after being afflicted
with distress,
[إِذَا لَهُمْ
مَّكْرٌ فِى ءايَـتِنَا]
(They take to plotting against Our Ayat.) The coming of mercy after distress
is like the coming of ease after hardship, fertility after aridity, and rain
after drought. Mujahid said that man's attitude indicates a mockery and belying
of blessings. The meaning here is similar to Allah's statement:
[وَإِذَا مَسَّ
الإِنسَـنَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنبِهِ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَآئِمًا]
(And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying on his side, or sitting or
standing.)(10:12) Al-Bukhari recorded that Allah's Messenger led the Subh (Dawn)
prayer after it had rained during the night, then he said:
«هَلْ تَدْرُونَ
مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمُ اللَّيْلَةَ؟»
(Do you know what your Lord has said last night) They replied, "Allah and His
Messenger know better.'' He said:
«قَالَ: أَصْبَحَ
مِنْ عِبَادِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِي وَكَافِرٌ، فَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ
اللهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ فَذَاكَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِي كَافِرٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ، وَأَمَّا مَنْ
قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَذَاكَ كَافِرٌ بِي مُؤْمِنٌ
بِالْكَوْكَب»
(Allah said; "This morning, some of My servants have become believers and
some disbelievers in Me. He who said: `We have had this rainfall due to the
grace and mercy of Allah' is a believer in Me and a disbeliever in the stars.
And he who said `we have had this rainfall due to the rising of such and such
star' is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the stars.) The Ayah:
[قُلِ اللَّهُ
أَسْرَعُ مَكْرًا]
(Say: "Allah is more swift in planning!'') means that Allah is more capable
of gradually seizing them with punishment, while granting them concession of a
delay until the criminals think that they would not be punished. But in reality
they are in periods of respite, then they will be taken suddenly. The noble
writers (meaning the angels who write the deeds) will write everything that they
do and keep count of their deeds. Then they will present it before the
All-Knowing of the seen and unseen worlds. The Lord will then reward them for
the significant deeds and even the seemingly insignificant that may be as tiny
as a spot on a date pit. Allah further states:
[هُوَ الَّذِى
يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ]
(He it is Who enables you to travel through land and sea...) which means that
He preserves you and maintains you with His care and watching.
[حَتَّى إِذَا
كُنتُمْ فِى الْفُلْكِ وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِم بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ وَفَرِحُواْ
بِهَا]
(Till when you are in the ships, and they sail with them with a favorable
wind, and they are glad therein...) meaning smoothly and calmly;
[جَآءَتْهَا]
(then comes (these ships))
[رِيحٌ
عَاصِفٌ]
(a stormy wind)
[وَجَآءَهُمُ
الْمَوْجُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ]
o(and the waves come to them from all sides, )
[وَظَنُّواْ
أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ]
(and they think that they are encircled therein) meaning that are going to be
destroyed.
[دَعَوُاْ اللَّهَ
مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ]
(Then they invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him (alone)) meaning
that in this situation they would not invoke an idol or statue besides Allah.
They would single Him out alone for their supplications and prayers. This is
similar to Allah's statement:
[وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ
الْضُّرُّ فِى الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلاَ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّـكُمْ
إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ وَكَانَ الإِنْسَـنُ كَفُورًا ]
(And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon vanish from
you except Him (Allah alone). But when He brings you safe to land, you turn away
(from Him). And man is ever ungrateful.) [17:67] And in this Surah, He says:
[دَعَوُاْ اللَّهَ
مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ لَئِنْ أَنْجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَـذِهِ]
(They invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him (saying): "If You (Allah)
deliver us from this (situation).'')
[لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ
الشَّـكِرِينَ]
("We shall truly, be of the grateful.'') This means that we will not ascribe
others as partners with You. We will later worship You alone as we are praying
to You here and now. Allah states;
[فَلَمَّآ
أَنجَاهُمْ]
(But when He delivers them) from that distress,
[إِذَا هُمْ
يَبْغُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ]
(behold! They rebel (disobey Allah) in the earth wrongfully...) meaning: they
returned as if they had never experienced any difficulties and had never
promised Him anything. So Allah said:
[كَأَن لَّمْ
يَدْعُنَآ إِلَى ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُ]
(He passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched
him!)[10:12] Allah then said:
[يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ
إِنَّمَا بَغْيُكُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِكُمْ]
(O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to Allah) is only against
yourselves,) it is you yourselves that will taste the evil consequence of this
transgression. You will not harm anyone else with it, as comes in the Hadith,
«مَا مِنْ ذَنْبٍ
أَجْدَرَ أَنْ يُعَجِّلَ اللهُ عُقُوبَتَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعَ مَا يَدَّخِرُ
اللهُ لِصَاحِبِهِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْبَغْيِ وَقَطِيعَةِ الرَّحِم»
(There is no sin that is more worthy that Allah hasten punishment for in this
world -- on top of the punishment that Allah has in store for it in the
Hereafter -- than oppression and cutting the ties of the womb.) Allah's
statement:
[مَّتَاعَ الْحَيَوةِ
الدُّنْيَا]
(a brief enjoyment of this worldly life...) means that you only have a short
enjoyment in this low and abased worldly life.
[ثُمَّ إِلَينَا
مَرْجِعُكُمْ]
(then (in the end) unto Us is your return...) meaning your goal and final
destination.
[فَنُنَبِّئُكُمْ]
(and We shall inform you) of all your deeds. Then we shall recompense you for
them. So let him who finds good (in his record) praise Allah, and let him who
finds other than that blame no one but himself.
[إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ
الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ
نَبَاتُ الاٌّرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ وَالاٌّنْعَـمُ حَتَّى إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ
الاٌّرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَازَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ
عَلَيْهَآ أَتَاهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن
لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالاٌّمْسِ كَذلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَـتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ -
وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى دَارِ السَّلاَمِ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ
مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ]
(24. Verily, the parable of the life of the world is as the water which We
send down from the sky; so by it arises the intermingled produce of the earth of
which men and cattle eat: until when the earth is clad in its adornments and is
beautified, and its people think that they have all the powers of disposal over
it, Our command reaches it by night or by day and We make it like a clean-mown
harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday! Thus do We explain the Ayat in
detail for the people who reflect.) (25. Allah calls to the Abode of Peace
(Paradise) and guides whom He wills to the straight path.)
ICTruth.info