Tafseer of Hud · Hud · 11:9
And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us and then We withdraw it from him, indeed, he is despairing and ungrateful.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the meaning of the words of Allah the Exalted: وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ لَيَئُوسٌ كَفُورٌ (And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us and then withdraw it from him, he is surely despairing and ungrateful.) (9)
Abū Jaʿfar said: Allah the Exalted says: if We give man a taste of ease and abundance from Us in his livelihood and his circumstances of life — that is to say: if We expand the worldly life for him — and that is the "mercy" which Allah the Exalted means here — ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا مِنْهُ — He says: if We then withdraw it from him, so that calamities strike him which afflict him and overthrow him — إِنَّهُ لَيَئُوسٌ كَفُورٌ — He says: he then remains despairing of Allah's mercy, full of despondency regarding the good.
His word "yaʾūs" (despairing) is the pattern "faʿūl" from the expression: "So-and-so despairs of such-and-such, he is yaʾūs," when that is his characteristic.
His word "kafūr" (ungrateful) — He says: he is ungrateful toward the One who has bestowed upon him, scarcely thankful toward his Lord who favored him with the blessings He granted him.
In agreement with what we have said about this, the verdict of the exegetes also speaks.
Statement of who said that:
18004 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj: وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ لَيَئُوسٌ كَفُورٌ — he said: O son of man, when there is a favor from Allah with you — ease, security, and well-being — then you are ungrateful for what you have of it; and when it is withdrawn from you in order to restrain you and bring you to your senses, then you become despairing of Allah's consolation, full of despondency regarding His mercy. Such is the hypocrite and the unbeliever.
