Fussilat · Makki · ayah 50 of 54

Fussilat 41:50

وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَـٰهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ ضَرَّآءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَـٰذَا لِى وَمَآ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَآئِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّجِعْتُ إِلَىٰ رَبِّىٓ إِنَّ لِى عِندَهُۥ لَلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ فَلَنُنَبِّئَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ

“And if We let him taste mercy from Us after an adversity which has touched him, he will surely say, "This is [due] to me,[1401] and I do not think the Hour will occur; and [even] if I should be returned to my Lord, indeed, for me there will be with Him the best." But We will surely inform those who disbelieved about what they did, and We will surely make them taste a massive punishment.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Given a taste of mercy after hardship, he says 'this is mine', doubts the Hour, and still expects the best from the Lord he ignores.

A reflection

A taste, not a possession

"If We let him taste mercy from Us." Every word in that phrase cuts against the reply that follows. The mercy is from Us. It is given, not earned. And it is only tasted.

The lexicons explain the verb. To taste, dhāqa, was to take a little; for a great deal, the Arabs said eating. An archer would taste a bow, drawing its string to feel how much it would give. So tasting is testing by a small amount. This is an established sense.

Allah gives a small sample of His mercy after a hardship. And the man's response is three words: hādhā lī, this is mine. Early authorities quoted in the commentaries explain it. This is from me, said one. I am most entitled to it, said another. This is by my work, and I deserve it, said a third. One classical spiritual writer remarks that the ayah has given this person the two ugliest qualities. In hardship he collapses into despair. In ease he forgets the Giver and imagines he earned it.

Picture a man who has spent six anxious weeks waiting to hear whether his job will survive a round of redundancies. He prays more in those weeks than in the previous year. Then the email comes: his role is safe. That Friday, with colleagues, he laughs it off. Of course they kept me, he says; they could not run the place without me.

Nothing in that sentence is dramatic. It is simply the ego reclaiming credit the moment the danger has passed.

The ayah calls it what it is. A taste of mercy was offered from Allah. Pride turned it into a possession. Humility would have said what the ayah itself says: this is from Him, and it is only a taste.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.