Allah tells us that man never gets bored of asking his Lord for good things,
such as wealth, physical health, etc., but if evil touches him -- i.e., trials
and difficulties or poverty --
[فَيَئُوسٌ
قَنُوطٌ]
(then he gives up all hope and is lost in despair.), i.e., he thinks that he
will never experience anything good again.
[وَلَئِنْ
أَذَقْنَـهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا مِن بَعْدِ ضَرَّآءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَـذَا
لِى]
(And truly, if We give him a taste of mercy from Us, after some adversity has
touched him, he is sure to say: "This is due to my (merit)...'') means, if
something good happens to him or some provision comes to him after a period of
difficulty, he says, `this is because of me, because I deserve this from my
Lord.'
[وَمَآ أَظُنُّ
السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً]
(I think not that the Hour will be established.) means, he does not believe
that the Hour will come. So when he is given some blessing, he becomes careless,
arrogant and ungrateful, as Allah says:
[كَلاَّ إِنَّ
الإِنسَـنَ لَيَطْغَى - أَن رَّءَاهُ اسْتَغْنَى ]
(Nay! Verily, man does transgress. Because he considers himself
self-sufficient.) (96:6)
[وَلَئِن رُّجِّعْتُ
إِلَى رَبِّى إِنَّ لِى عِندَهُ لَلْحُسْنَى]
(But if I am brought back to my Lord, surely there will be for me the best
with Him.) means, `if there is a Hereafter after all, then my Lord will be
generous and kind to me just as He was in this world.' So he expects Allah to do
him favors in spite of his bad deeds and lack of certain faith. Allah says:
[فَلَنُنَبِّئَنَّ
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِّنْ عَذَابٍ
غَلِيظٍ]
(Then, We verily will show to the disbelievers what they have done, and We
shall make them taste a severe torment.) Thus Allah threatens punishment and
vengeance to those whose conduct and belief is like that.
[وَإِذَآ أَنْعَمْنَا
عَلَى الإنْسَـنِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَأَى بِجَانِبِهِ]
(And when We show favor to man, he turns away and becomes arrogant;) means,
he turns away from doing acts of obedience and is too proud to obey the commands
of Allah. This is like the Ayah:
[فَتَوَلَّى
بِرُكْنِهِ]
(But [Fir`awn] turned away along with his hosts) (51:39).
[وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ
الشَّرُّ]
(but when evil touches him,) means, difficulties,
[فَذُو دُعَآءٍ
عَرِيضٍ]
(then he has recourse to long supplications.) means, he asks at length for
one thing. Long supplications are those which are long on words and short on
meaning. The opposite is concise speech which is brief but full of meaning. And
Allah says:
[وَإِذَا مَسَّ
الإِنسَـنَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنبِهِ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَآئِمًا فَلَمَّا
كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَآ إِلَى ضُرٍّ
مَّسَّهُ]
(And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying on his side, or sitting or
standing. But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on as if he had
never invoked Us for a harm that touched him!) (10:12)
[قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ
إِن كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ كَفَرْتُمْ بِهِ مَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ هُوَ فِى
شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ - سَنُرِيهِمْ ءَايَـتِنَا فِى الاٌّفَاقِ وَفِى أَنفُسِهِمْ
حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ
عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ - أَلاَ إِنَّهُمْ فِى مِرْيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَآءِ
رَبِّهِمْ أَلاَ إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّحِيطُ ]
(52. Say: "Tell me, if it is from Allah, and you disbelieve in it Who is more
astray than one who is in opposition far away.'') (53. We will show them Our
signs in the universes, and within themselves, until it becomes manifest to them
that this is the truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your Lord that He is a
Witness over all things) (54. Lo, Verily, they are in doubt concerning the
meeting with their Lord. Verily, He is surrounding all things!)
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