Surah Yunus, Ayah 12 (10:12)

يُونُس

وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ ٱلضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَآئِمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا …

Quran 10:12 is ayah 12 of Surah Yunus (“Jonah”), a Meccan surah of 109 ayahs. It is in Juz 11, on page 209 of the Madani Mushaf.

10:12
وَإِذَامَسَّٱلْإِنسَٰنَٱلضُّرُّدَعَانَالِجَنۢبِهِۦٓأَوْقَاعِدًاأَوْقَآئِمًافَلَمَّاكَشَفْنَاعَنْهُضُرَّهُۥمَرَّكَأَنلَّمْيَدْعُنَآإِلَىٰضُرٍّمَّسَّهُۥ ۚكَذَٰلِكَزُيِّنَلِلْمُسْرِفِينَمَاكَانُوا۟يَعْمَلُونَ١٢
wa-idhā massa l-insāna l-ḍuru daʿānā lijanbihi aw qāʿidan aw qāiman falammā kashafnā ʿanhu ḍurrahu marra ka-an lam yadʿunā ilā ḍurrin massahu kadhālika zuyyina lil'mus'rifīna mā kānū yaʿmalūna

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.(12)

Word by word

  1. وَإِذَاwa-idhāAnd when
  2. مَسَّmassatouches
  3. ٱلْإِنسَٰنَl-insānathe man
  4. ٱلضُّرُّl-ḍuruthe affliction
  5. دَعَانَاdaʿānāhe calls Us
  6. لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓlijanbihi(lying) on his side
  7. أَوْawor
  8. قَاعِدًاqāʿidansitting
  9. أَوْawor
  10. قَآئِمًاqāimanstanding
  11. فَلَمَّاfalammāBut when
  12. كَشَفْنَاkashafnāWe remove
  13. عَنْهُʿanhufrom him
  14. ضُرَّهُۥḍurrahuhis affliction
  15. مَرَّmarrahe passes on
  16. كَأَنka-anas if he
  17. لَّمْlam(had) not
  18. يَدْعُنَآyadʿunācalled Us
  19. إِلَىٰilāfor
  20. ضُرٍّḍurrin(the) affliction
  21. مَّسَّهُۥ ۚmassahu(that) touched him
  22. كَذَٰلِكَkadhālikaThus
  23. زُيِّنَzuyyina(it) is made fair seeming
  24. لِلْمُسْرِفِينَlil'mus'rifīnato the extravagant
  25. مَاmāwhat
  26. كَانُوا۟kānūthey used (to)
  27. يَعْمَلُونَyaʿmalūnado

Tafsir (commentary) of 10:12

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

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 دُعَآءٍ 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 يَدْعُنَآ إِلَى 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:

كَذلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُواْ 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.

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ

(Except those who have patience believe and do righteous good deeds.) 11:11 The Prophet 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 لِلْمُؤْمِن»

(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.)

Read the full Surah Yunus