Quran Universe
10:12

وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ ٱلضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓ أَوۡ قَاعِدًا أَوۡ قَآئِمٗا فَلَمَّا كَشَفۡنَا عَنۡهُ ضُرَّهُۥ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمۡ يَدۡعُنَآ إِلَىٰ ضُرّٖ مَّسَّهُۥۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ

Waitha massa alinsana alddurru daAAana lijanbihi aw qaAAidan aw qaiman falamma kashafna AAanhu durrahu marra kaan lam yadAAuna ila durrin massahu kathalika zuyyina lilmusrifeena ma kanoo yaAAmaloona

And when affliction touches man, he calls upon Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove from him his affliction, he continues [in disobedience] as if he had never called upon Us to [remove] an affliction that touched him. Thus is made pleasing to the transgressors that which they have been doing

Word by word
  1. وَإِذَاAnd when
  2. مَسَّtouches
  3. ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَthe man
  4. ٱلضُّرُّthe affliction
  5. دَعَانَاhe calls Us
  6. لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓ(lying) on his side
  7. أَوۡor
  8. قَاعِدًاsitting
  9. أَوۡor
  10. قَآئِمٗاstanding
  11. فَلَمَّاBut when
  12. كَشَفۡنَاWe remove
  13. عَنۡهُfrom him
  14. ضُرَّهُۥhis affliction
  15. مَرَّhe passes on
  16. كَأَنas if he
  17. لَّمۡ(had) not
  18. يَدۡعُنَآcalled Us
  19. إِلَىٰfor
  20. ضُرّٖ(the) affliction
  21. مَّسَّهُۥۚ(that) touched him
  22. كَذَٰلِكَThus
  23. زُيِّنَ(it) is made fair seeming
  24. لِلۡمُسۡرِفِينَto the extravagant
  25. مَاwhat
  26. كَانُواْthey used (to)
  27. يَعۡمَلُونَdo
Yunus · 10:12Makkah

We call Him in pain, then walk off when it passes.

Remembering Allah only in hard times

The pattern
harm hitsworried, anxious
calls
lying, sitting, standingpraying in every position
relief comes
walks awayas if he never asked
The believer's way
pray only in crisisforget once it ends
patient, then gratefulgood in both states

Ibn Kathir describes a person who, in distress, prays long, in every position, then turns away once relief comes. He cites the hadith: how wonderful is the believer, patient in hardship and grateful in ease, and good comes to him in both.

The hospital corridor at 2 a.m. You prayed harder than you have in years. The scan came back clear. A month later, the prayer mat is folded away again. The relief deserved a thank you too.

I pray hardest when I need something.

The One who answered me in pain deserves my thanks when the pain is gone.

Try this

Recall one hard time Allah got you through. Pray two units of thanks for it today.

Related41:5111:11
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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! Thus it is made fair seeming to the wasteful that which they used to do (12)

Man remembers Allah at Times of Adversity and forgets Him at Times of Prosperity

Allah tells us about man and how he becomes annoyed and worried when he is touched with distress.

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ فَذُو دُعَاءٍ عَرِيضٍ

(but when evil touches him, then he has recourse to long supplications.)[41:51]

Long supplications' also means many supplications. When man suffers adversity he becomes worried and anxious. So he supplicates more. He prays to Allah to lift and remove the adversity. He prays while standing, sitting or laying down. When Allah removes his adversity and lifts his distress, he turns away and becomes arrogant. He goes on as if nothing were wrong with him before.

مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَا إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُ

(He passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him!)

Allah then criticized and condemned those who have these qualities or act this way, so He said:

كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

(Thus it is made fair seeming to the wasteful that which they used to do.)

But those on whom Allah has bestowed good guidance and support are an exception.

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ

(Except those who have patience believe and do righteous good deeds.)[11:11]

The Prophet ﷺ said:

عَجَبًا (لِأَمْرِ) الْمُؤْمِنِ لَا يَقْضِي اللهُ لَهُ قَضَاءً إِلَّا كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ فَصَبَرَ كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ فَشَكَرَ كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، وَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ

(How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this is not the case with anyone except a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah, and that is good for him. And if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is also good for him.)