Surah Zumar Ayat 49 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 49
And when adversity touches man, he calls upon Us; then when We bestow on him a favor from Us, he says, “I have only been given it because of [my] knowledge.” Rather, it is a trial, but most of them do not know.
Now, when trouble touches man, he cries to Us: But when We bestow a favour upon him as from Ourselves, he says, “This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge (I have)!” Nay, but this is but a trial, but most of them understand not!
When an affliction befalls man, he cries out to Us; but when We grant him a favour from Us, he says: “I have been granted this on account of my knowledge.” Nay; this (favour) is a test; but most of them do not know.
When harm touches man, he calls to Us (for help), then when We have (rescued him from that harm and) changed it into a favour from Us, he says: “Only because of knowledge (that I possess) I obtained it.” Nay, it is only a trial, but most of them know not!
Now when hurt toucheth a man he crieth unto Us, and afterward when We have granted him a boon from Us, he saith: Only by force of knowledge I obtained it. Nay, but it is a test. But most of them know not.
So when an adversity touches man, he invokes Us; thereafter when We grant him a favor from Us, he says, “Surely I have been brought it only because of (my) knowledge.” No indeed, it is a temptation, but most of them do not know.
When man suffers some affliction, he cries out to Us, but when We favour him with Our blessing, he says, ‘All this has been given to me because of my knowledge’- it is only a test, though most of them do not know it.
انسان کو جب کوئی تکلیف پہنچتی ہے تو ہمیں پکارنے لگتا ہے، پھر جب ہم اسے اپنی طرف سے کوئی نعمت عطا فرمادیں تو کہنے لگتا ہے کہ اسے تو میں محض اپنے علم کی وجہ سے دیا گیا ہوں، بلکہ یہ آزمائش ہے لیکن ان میں سے اکثر لوگ بے علم ہیں
Quran 39 Verse 49 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Zumar ayat 49, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(39:49) When an affliction befalls man,[65] he cries out to Us; but when We grant him a favour from Us, he says: “I have been granted this on account of my knowledge.”[66] Nay; this (favour) is a test; but most of them do not know.[67]
65. “The man”: the one who has aversion to Allah and whose face is distorted on hearing Allah alone being mentioned.
66. This sentence can have two meanings:
(1) That Allah knows that I am worthy of this blessing. That is why He has given me All this, otherwise He would not have blessed me if I had been an evil and wicked person in His sight.
(2) That I have attained to this by virtue of my ability.
67. People ignorantly think that whoever is being blessed by Allah in some way is being so blessed necessarily on account of his worth and ability and that the same is a sign or proof of his being a favorite in His sight. Whereas the fact is that whoever is being given something here, is being given it for the sake of a trial by Allah. This is a means of the test, and not any reward for ability, otherwise many able and worthy people would not be living in poverty and many unworthy people would not be rolling in prosperity. Likewise, these worldly blessings are not a sign of one’s being a favorite with Allah either. Everyone can see that many good people whose goodness is unquestionable are living in hardships in the world, and many wicked people whose evil-doing is well known are enjoying the pleasures of life. Now, can a sensible man take the affliction of the one and the life of ease and comfort of the other as an argument to say that Allah hates the good man and prefers the bad man.
Ibn-Kathir
49. When harm touches man, he calls to Us (for help); then when We have changed it into a favor from Us, he says: “Only because of knowledge I obtained it.” Nay, it is only a trial, but most of them know not! 50. Verily, those before them said it, yet (all) that they had earned availed them not. 51. So, the evil results of that which they earned overtook them. And those who did wrong of these will also be overtaken by the evil results for that which they earned; and they will never be able to escape. 52. Do they not know that Allah expands the provision for whom He wills, and straitens it. Verily, in this are signs for the folk who believe!
Allah tells us how man, when he is suffering from harm, prays to Allah, turning to Him in repentance and calling upon Him, but when He makes things easy for him, he transgresses and commits sins.
(Only because of knowledge I obtained it.) means, `because Allah knows that I deserve it; if it were not for the fact that Allah regards me as special, He would not have given me this.’ Qatadah said, “Because I know that I deserve it.” Allah says:
(Nay, it is only a trial,) meaning, `the matter is not as he claims; on the contrary, We have blessed him with this as a test to see whether he will be obedient or disobedient — although We have prior knowledge of that.’ In fact, it is a trial.
(but most of them know not!) So they say what they say and claim what they claim.
(Verily, those before them said it,) means, the previous nations who came before said the same things and made the same claims,
(yet (all) that they had earned availed them not. ) means, what they said was not right and all that they had gathered did not save them.
(So, the evil results of that which they earned overtook them. And those who did wrong of these…) means, the people who are addressed here,
(will also be overtaken by the evil results (torment) for that which they earned;) just as happened to those earlier peoples.
(and they will never be able to escape.) This is like the Ayah in which Allah tells us how Qarun reacted when his people told him:
(“Do not exult, verily, Allah likes not those who exult. But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world; and do good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allah likes not the corrupters.” He said: “This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess.” Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations, men who were stronger than him in might and greater in the amount (of riches) they had collected But the criminals will not be questioned of their sins.”) (28:76-78). And Allah says:
(And they say: “We are more in wealth and in children, and we are not going to be punished.”) (34:35).
(Do they not know that Allah expands the provision for whom He wills, and straitens it.) means, He gives plenty to some and restricts the provision for others.
(Verily, in this are signs for the folk who believe!) means, there is a lesson and proof.
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