Az-Zumar 39:52
The Troops · Juz 24 · Page 464
أَوَلَمۡ يَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقۡدِرُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٥٢
Do they not know that Allāh extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]? Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 39:49–52
How Man changes when He is blessed after suffering Harm
Allah tells us how man, when he is suffering from harm, prays to Allah, turning to Him in repentance and calling upon Him, but when He makes things easy for him, he transgresses and commits sins.
إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ
(Only because of knowledge I obtained it.) means, `because Allah knows that I deserve it; if it were not for the fact that Allah regards me as special, He would not have given me this.' Qatadah said, "Because I know that I deserve it." Allah says:
بَلْ هِىَ فِتْنَةٌ
(Nay, it is only a trial,) meaning, `the matter is not as he claims; on the contrary, We have blessed him with this as a test to see whether he will be obedient or disobedient -- although We have prior knowledge of that.' In fact, it is a trial.
وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
(but most of them know not!) So they say what they say and claim what they claim.
قَدْ قَالَهَا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ
(Verily, those before them said it,) means, the previous nations who came before said the same things and made the same claims,
فَمَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ
(yet (all) that they had earned availed them not. ) means, what they said was not right and all that they had gathered did not save them.
فَأَصَبَهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُ مَا كَسَبُواْ وَالَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنْ هَؤُلاَءِ
(So, the evil results of that which they earned overtook them. And those who did wrong of these...) means, the people who are addressed here,
سَيُصِيبُهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُ مَا كَسَبُواْ
(will also be overtaken by the evil results (torment) for that which they earned;) just as happened to those earlier peoples.
وَمَا هُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ
(and they will never be able to escape.) This is like the Ayah in which Allah tells us how Qarun reacted when his people told him:
إِنَّ قَرُونَ كَانَ مِن قَوْمِ مُوسَى فَبَغَى عَلَيْهِمْ وَءَاتَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْكُنُوزِ مَآ إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُ لَتَنُوأُ بِالْعُصْبَةِ أُوْلِى الْقُوَّةِ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ قَوْمُهُ لاَ تَفْرَحْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْفَرِحِينَ - وَابْتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَلاَ تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَأَحْسِن كَمَآ أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ وَلاَ تَبْغِ الْفَسَادَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ - قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِندِى أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِن قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعاً وَلاَ يُسْأَلُ عَن ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ
("Do not exult, verily, Allah likes not those who exult. But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world; and do good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allah likes not the corrupters." He said: "This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess." Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations, men who were stronger than him in might and greater in the amount (of riches) they had collected But the criminals will not be questioned of their sins.") (28:76-78). And Allah says:
وَقَالُواْ نَحْنُ أَكْثَرُ أَمْوَلاً وَأَوْلَداً وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ
(And they say: "We are more in wealth and in children, and we are not going to be punished.") (34:35).
أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ
(Do they not know that Allah expands the provision for whom He wills, and straitens it.) means, He gives plenty to some and restricts the provision for others.
إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
(Verily, in this are signs for the folk who believe!) means, there is a lesson and proof.
Page 464
39:48
وَبَدَا لَهُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتُ مَا كَسَبُواْ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ٤٨
And there will appear to them the evils they had earned, and they will be enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
39:49
فَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ ضُرّٞ دَعَانَا ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلۡنَٰهُ نِعۡمَةٗ مِّنَّا قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمِۭۚ بَلۡ هِيَ فِتۡنَةٞ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٤٩
And when adversity touches man, he calls upon Us; then when We bestow on him a favor from Us, he says, "I have only been given it because of [my] knowledge." Rather, it is a trial, but most of them do not know.
39:50
قَدۡ قَالَهَا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَمَآ أَغۡنَىٰ عَنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ٥٠
Those before them had already said it, but they were not availed by what they used to earn.
39:51
فَأَصَابَهُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتُ مَا كَسَبُواْۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنۡ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ سَيُصِيبُهُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتُ مَا كَسَبُواْ وَمَا هُم بِمُعۡجِزِينَ ٥١
And the evil consequences of what they earned struck them. And those who have wronged of these [people] will be struck [i.e., afflicted] by the evil consequences of what they earned; and they will not cause failure.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., prevent Allāh from what He wills or escape from the punishment. ↩
39:52
أَوَلَمۡ يَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقۡدِرُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٥٢
Do they not know that Allāh extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]? Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.
39:53
۞ قُلۡ يَٰعِبَادِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٥٣
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh forgives all sins.1 Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
1 translator’s note
- For those who repent and correct themselves. ↩
39:54
وَأَنِيبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ وَأَسۡلِمُواْ لَهُۥ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَكُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ ٥٤
And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped.
39:55
وَٱتَّبِعُوٓاْ أَحۡسَنَ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَكُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ بَغۡتَةٗ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَشۡعُرُونَ ٥٥
And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord [i.e., the Qur’ān] before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you do not perceive,
39:56
أَن تَقُولَ نَفۡسٞ يَٰحَسۡرَتَىٰ عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّطتُ فِي جَنۢبِ ٱللَّهِ وَإِن كُنتُ لَمِنَ ٱلسَّٰخِرِينَ ٥٦
Lest a soul should say,1 "Oh, [how great is] my regret over what I neglected in regard to Allāh and that I was among the mockers."
1 translator’s note
- On the Day of Resurrection. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy