Tafseer of Explained in detail · Fussilat · 41:50
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, 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.
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 saying of the Exalted: وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَذَا لِي وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِنْ رُجِعْتُ إِلَى رَبِّي إِنَّ لِي عِنْدَهُ لَلْحُسْنَى فَلَنُنَبِّئَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ (50) ("And if We let him taste a mercy from Us after an adversity that has touched him, he surely says: 'This is due to me, and I do not think that the Hour will come to pass; and if I am returned to my Lord, then surely with Him there is for me the best.' But We shall most certainly inform those who disbelieve of what they have done, and We shall most certainly make them taste a harsh punishment.") (41:50)
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: And if We remove from this disbeliever (kāfir) that which has touched him in the way of illness in himself and of harm, and of heaviness and distress in his livelihood — as a mercy from Us — so that We grant him well-being in his body after the illness, and provide him wealth and broaden his livelihood for him after the distress and the harm, لَيَقُولَنَّ هَذَا لِي ("he surely says: 'This is due to me'") with Allah, for Allah is pleased with me, in His good pleasure over my work and over that in which I persevere.
As Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: لَيَقُولَنَّ هَذَا لِي ("he surely says: 'This is due to me'"): that is, by my work, and I have a right to this. He says: and I do not think that the Resurrection will come to pass on the day when it comes to pass. He says: and even if the Resurrection does also come to pass and I am returned alive to Allah after my death, he says: then with Him there is for me wealth and possessions.
As Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His saying: إِنَّ لِي عِنْدَهُ لَلْحُسْنَى ("then surely with Him there is for me the best"). He says: wealth. The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: We shall then most certainly inform these who disbelieve in Allah, who chase after false promises concerning Him, on the day when they return to Him, of what they performed in the worldly life of acts of disobedience and the evil deeds they committed; then We shall most certainly requite them all with their recompense for that.
And that harsh punishment (ʿadhāb) is their everlasting abode in the Fire of Hell (jahannam), wherein they neither die nor live.
