Quran Universe
9:50

إِن تُصِبۡكَ حَسَنَةٞ تَسُؤۡهُمۡۖ وَإِن تُصِبۡكَ مُصِيبَةٞ يَقُولُواْ قَدۡ أَخَذۡنَآ أَمۡرَنَا مِن قَبۡلُ وَيَتَوَلَّواْ وَّهُمۡ فَرِحُونَ

In tusibka hasanatun tasuhum wain tusibka museebatun yaqooloo qad akhathna amrana min qablu wayatawallaw wahum farihoona

If good befalls you, it distresses them; but if disaster strikes you, they say, "We took our matter [in hand] before," and turn away while they are rejoicing.

Word by word
  1. إِنIf
  2. تُصِبۡكَbefalls you
  3. حَسَنَةٞgood
  4. تَسُؤۡهُمۡۖit distresses them
  5. وَإِنbut if
  6. تُصِبۡكَbefalls you
  7. مُصِيبَةٞa calamity
  8. يَقُولُواْthey say
  9. قَدۡVerily
  10. أَخَذۡنَآwe took
  11. أَمۡرَنَاour matter
  12. مِنbefore
  13. قَبۡلُbefore
  14. وَيَتَوَلَّواْAnd they turn away
  15. وَّهُمۡwhile they
  16. فَرِحُونَ(are) rejoicing
At-Tawbah · 9:50Madinah

Your good news hurt them, your hardship pleased them.

Watch what you feel at others' news

Their reactions
good for youvictory
made them
grieve
hardship for youmade them say
and
we were carefulturning away glad
A heart check
secret gladness at loss
joy at their goodgrief at their pain

The hypocrites were upset when the Prophet ﷺ and his companions had victory, and when hardship came they said, we took our precautions by staying out of it, and turned away pleased. Ibn Kathir calls it the depth of their enmity.

Your cousin's business takes off and something sour rises in you. A colleague fails and you feel a tiny glow of "told you so." Catch that feeling. It is the exact reaction this verse describes.

A little satisfaction when others fail is only human.

Being glad at a believer's hardship is a sign to heal my heart.

Try this

Congratulate, sincerely, someone whose success you felt a pang about.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

If good befalls you, it grieves them, but if a calamity overtakes you, they say: "We took our precaution beforehand," and they turn away rejoicing (50)Say: "Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our Mawla (protector)." And in Allah let the believers put their trust (51)

Allah emphasizes the enmity that the hypocrites have for the Prophet ﷺ.

If a blessing, such as victory and triumph over the enemies, is given to the Prophet ﷺ, thus pleasing him and his Companions, it grieves the hypocrites,

وَإِن تُصِبْكَ مُصِيبَةٌ يَقُولُوا قَدْ أَخَذْنَا أَمْرَنَا مِن قَبْلُ

(but if a calamity overtakes you, they say: "We took our precaution beforehand,"), they say, we took precautions when we did not join him,

وَيَتَوَلَّوا وَّهُمْ فَرِحُونَ

(and they turn away rejoicing.) Allah directed His Prophet ﷺ to reply to the perfect enmity they have towards him,

قُل

(Say), to them,

لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا

(Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us.) for we are under His control and decree,

هُوَ مَوْلَانَا

(He is our Mawla.), Master and protector,

وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

(And in Allah let the believers put their trust)[9:51], and we trust in Him. Verily, He is sufficient for us and what an excellent guardian.