39:8

۞وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ ضُرّٞ دَعَا رَبَّهُۥ مُنِيبًا إِلَيۡهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٗ مِّنۡهُ نَسِيَ مَا كَانَ يَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِ مِن قَبۡلُ وَجَعَلَ لِلَّهِ أَندَادٗا لِّيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦۚ قُلۡ تَمَتَّعۡ بِكُفۡرِكَ قَلِيلًا إِنَّكَ مِنۡ أَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلنَّارِ

Waitha massa alinsana durrun daAAa rabbahu muneeban ilayhi thumma itha khawwalahu niAAmatan minhu nasiya ma kana yadAAoo ilayhi min qablu wajaAAala lillahi andadan liyudilla AAan sabeelihi qul tamattaAA bikufrika qaleelan innaka min ashabi alnnari

And when adversity touches man, he calls upon his Lord, turning to Him [alone]; then when He bestows on him a favor from Himself, he forgets Him whom he called upon before, and he attributes to Allah equals to mislead [people] from His way. Say, "Enjoy your disbelief for a little; indeed, you are of the companions of the Fire."

Word by word
  1. ۞وَإِذَاAnd when
  2. مَسَّtouches
  3. ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ[the] man
  4. ضُرّٞadversity
  5. دَعَاhe calls
  6. رَبَّهُۥhis Lord
  7. مُنِيبًاturning
  8. إِلَيۡهِto Him
  9. ثُمَّthen
  10. إِذَاwhen
  11. خَوَّلَهُۥHe bestows on him
  12. نِعۡمَةٗa favor
  13. مِّنۡهُfrom Himself
  14. نَسِيَhe forgets
  15. مَا(for) what
  16. كَانَhe used to call
  17. يَدۡعُوٓاْhe used to call
  18. إِلَيۡهِ[to] Him
  19. مِنbefore
  20. قَبۡلُbefore
  21. وَجَعَلَand he sets up
  22. لِلَّهِto Allah
  23. أَندَادٗاrivals
  24. لِّيُضِلَّto mislead
  25. عَنfrom
  26. سَبِيلِهِۦۚHis Path
  27. قُلۡSay
  28. تَمَتَّعۡEnjoy
  29. بِكُفۡرِكَin your disbelief
  30. قَلِيلًا(for) a little
  31. إِنَّكَIndeed,you
  32. مِنۡ(are) of
  33. أَصۡحَٰبِ(the) companions
  34. ٱلنَّارِ(of) the Fire
Az-Zumar · 39:8Makkah

Desperate in the storm, forgetful in the calm.

The prayer we drop once the trouble passes


The cycle
hardshipsomething hurts
he
calls on Allahsincerely, alone
then relief, and he
forgetssets up rivals
The real test
praying in crisiseveryone does that
remembering in easethe part that counts

Ibn Kathir explains that in need a person calls on Allah alone, but once relieved, forgets the prayer and sets up rivals. The warning, enjoy your disbelief a little, is a stern one.

The night before the exam results, you prayed like never before. The scan came back clear and you promised to change. Three weeks later the prayer mat is folded away. The calm is where the test really starts.

I turn to Allah when I really need Him.

Turning to Him in hardship is easy; staying with Him after relief is the proof.

Try this

Think of one prayer Allah answered for you. Thank Him for it today, by name.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 39:7)

If you disbelieve, then verily, Allah is not in need of you; He likes not disbelief for His servants. And if you are grateful, He is pleased therewith for you. No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that which is in breasts (7)And when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord, turning to Him in repentance. But when He bestows a favor upon him from Himself, he forgets that for which he cried for before, and he sets up rivals to Allah, in order to mislead others from His path. Say: "Take pleasure in your disbelief for a while, surely, you are (one) of the dwellers of the Fire! (8)

Allah hates Disbelief and is pleased with Gratitude

Allah tells us that He is Independent and has no need of anything in creation. This is like the Ayah in which Musa, peace be upon him, says:

إِنْ تَكْفُرُوا أَنْتُمْ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ 

("If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily, Allah is Rich, Owner of all praise.")(14:8). In Sahih Muslim, it says:

يَا عِبَادِي لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَفْجَرِ قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ، مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مُلْكِي شَيْئًا

("O My servants, if the first and the last of you, men and Jinn alike, were all to be as evil as the most evil man among you, that would not diminish from My sovereignty in the least.")

وَلَا يَرْضَىٰ لِعِبَادِهِ الْكُفْرَ ۖ 

(He likes not disbelief for His servants.) means, He does not like it and He does not enjoin it.

وَإِنْ تَشْكُرُوا يَرْضَهُ لَكُمْ ۗ 

(And if you are grateful, He is pleased therewith for you.) means: He likes this for you and He will increase His favor upon you.

وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۗ 

(No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.) means, no person can bear anything for another; each person will be asked about his own affairs.

ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

(Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that which is in breasts.) means, nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him.

It is an aspect of Man's Disbelief that He remembers Allah at times of difficulty then associates others with Him after He has been relieved of His distress

وَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنْسَانَ ضُرٌّ دَعَا رَبَّهُ مُنِيبًا إِلَيْهِ 

(And when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord, turning to Him in repentance.) means, at times of need, he prays to Allah and seeks His help alone, not associating anything with Him. This is like the Ayah:

وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فِي الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَنْ تَدْعُونَ إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ كَفُورًا

(And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon vanish from you except Him. But when He brings you safe to land, you turn away. And man is ever ungrateful.)(17:67). Allah says:

ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلَهُ نِعْمَةً مِنْهُ نَسِيَ مَا كَانَ يَدْعُو إِلَيْهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ

(But when He bestows a favor upon him from Himself, he forgets that for which he cried for before,) means, at the time of ease, he forgets that supplication and prayer. This is like the Ayah:

وَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنْسَانَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنْبِهِ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَائِمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَنْ لَمْ يَدْعُنَا إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّ مَسَّهُ ۚ 

(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).

وَجَعَلَ لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ

(and he sets up rivals to Allah, in order to mislead others from His path.) means, at times of ease, he associates others in worship with Allah and sets up rivals to Him.

قُلْ تَمَتَّعْ بِكُفْرِكَ قَلِيلًا ۖ إِنَّكَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ

(Say: "Take pleasure in your disbelief for a while, surely, you are (one) of the dwellers of the Fire!") means, say to those whose way this is, 'enjoy your disbelief for a while!' This is a stern threat and solemn warning, as in the Ayat:

قُلْ تَمَتَّعُوا فَإِنَّ مَصِيرَكُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ

(Say: "Enjoy! But certainly, your destination is the Fire!")(14:30).

نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ 

(We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.)(31:24)