بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Fajr 89:16
The Dawn · Juz 30 · Page 593
وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَهَٰنَنِ ١٦
But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 89:15–16
Wealth and Poverty are no Signs of One's Acceptance or Rejection
فَأَمَّا الْإِنسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ ۔ وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ (As for man, when his Lord tests him, and thus gives him honour and bounties, he says, "My Lord has honoured me. But when he tests him, and thus straitens his provision for him, he says, "My Lord has disgraced me...89:15-16). The word 'man' here primarily refers to an 'unbelieving man' who may form any thought about Allah as he feels like, but in its general sense, the word may include a Muslim as well who has the same thought as an unbeliever. When Allah gives abundant wealth and good health to such people, the devil puts into their head two false ideas. First, they succumb to their baser instincts; they become haughty and arrogant; and they think that the wealth and health is the result of their superior intellect, personal capability, efforts and achievement. Secondly, they think that they are enjoying a favourable status with Allah. If they did not enjoy the favourable position with Him, they would not have been granted such an abundance of wealth. By the same token, if Allah curtails their sustenance i.e. they suffer some degree of poverty, they regard it as a curse from Allah, and complain that He is humiliating or dishonouring them, while they deserved honour and respect. The unbelievers and idolaters do hold such thoughts and ideas, as the Qur'an has pointed out on many occasions, but it is regrettable that many Muslims nowadays fall into similar ideas. Allah refutes man's belief by the expression کَلَّا Kalla 'No/never!' The matter is not as he claims. Wealth does not indicate acceptance of a man by Allah, nor does poverty indicate rejection. [ For indeed Allah gives wealth to those whom He loves and those whom He does not love. Likewise, He withholds sustenance /wealth from those whom He loves and those whom He does not love.] Often the matter is quite the contrary. Fir'aun (the Pharaoh) claimed godhead and lordship, yet he never suffered from any headache. Some of Prophets (علیہم السلام) were sliced, by enemies, into two pieces with a saw. The Holy Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said that the poor refugees will enter Paradise forty years before the wealthy muhajirs (Immigrants). [ Imam Muslim رحمۃ علیہ has transmitted it from ` Abdullah Ibn Umar ؓ - Mazhari ]. In another narration, the Holy Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said that whomever Allah loves, He keeps him away from the worldly luxuries as people keep away their sickly patients from water. [ Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it on the authority of Qatadah Ibn Nu` man Mazhari ].
Page 593
سورة الفجر
Al-Fajr
The Dawn · Meccan · 30 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
89:1
وَٱلۡفَجۡرِ ١
By the dawn
89:2
وَلَيَالٍ عَشۡرٖ ٢
And [by] ten nights1
1 translator’s note
- Usually interpreted as the first ten nights of the month of Dhul-Ḥijjah. ↩
89:3
وَٱلشَّفۡعِ وَٱلۡوَتۡرِ ٣
And [by] the even [number] and the odd
89:4
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَسۡرِ ٤
And [by] the night when it passes,
89:5
هَلۡ فِي ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٞ لِّذِي حِجۡرٍ ٥
Is there [not] in [all] that an oath [sufficient] for one of perception?1
1 translator’s note
- Based upon the following verses, what has been sworn to by Allāh is that He will certainly punish the disbelievers. ↩
89:6
أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ ٦
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with ʿAad -
89:7
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلۡعِمَادِ ٧
89:8
ٱلَّتِي لَمۡ يُخۡلَقۡ مِثۡلُهَا فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ ٨
The likes of whom had never been created in the land?
89:9
وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُواْ ٱلصَّخۡرَ بِٱلۡوَادِ ٩
And [with] Thamūd, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
89:10
وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ ذِي ٱلۡأَوۡتَادِ ١٠
And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes?1
1 translator’s note
- By which he tortured people. ↩
89:11
ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ ١١
[All of] whom oppressed within the lands
89:12
فَأَكۡثَرُواْ فِيهَا ٱلۡفَسَادَ ١٢
And increased therein the corruption.
89:13
فَصَبَّ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّكَ سَوۡطَ عَذَابٍ ١٣
So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.
89:14
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِٱلۡمِرۡصَادِ ١٤
Indeed, your Lord is in observation.
89:15
فَأَمَّا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكۡرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَكۡرَمَنِ ١٥
And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me."1
1 translator’s note
- He is proud rather than grateful, attributing the favor to his own merit. ↩
89:16
وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَهَٰنَنِ ١٦
But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
89:17
كـَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا تُكۡرِمُونَ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ ١٧
No!1 But you do not honor the orphan
1 translator’s note
- It is not like you imagine. Rather, Allāh tries people through prosperity and hardship and rewards both gratitude and patience with honor in the Hereafter. ↩
89:18
وَلَا تَحَٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ ١٨
And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.
89:19
وَتَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكۡلٗا لَّمّٗا ١٩
And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,1
1 translator’s note
- Not caring whether it is lawful or unlawful. ↩
89:20
وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡمَالَ حُبّٗا جَمّٗا ٢٠
And you love wealth with immense love.
89:21
كـَلَّآۖ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ دَكّٗا دَكّٗا ٢١
No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed
89:22
وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلۡمَلَكُ صَفّٗا صَفّٗا ٢٢
And your Lord has come1 and the angels, rank upon rank,
1 translator’s note
- To pass judgement. See footnote to 2:19. ↩
89:23
وَجِاْيٓءَ يَوۡمَئِذِۭ بِجَهَنَّمَۚ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ ٢٣
And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell - that Day, man will remember, but how [i.e., what good] to him will be the remembrance?