The Bee — Verse 54
16:54 · an-Nahl
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ثُمَّ إِذَا كَشَفَ ٱلضُّرَّ عَنكُمۡ إِذَا فَرِیقࣱ مِّنكُم بِرَبِّهِمۡ یُشۡرِكُونَ ٥٤
thumma idhā kashafa l-ḍura ʿankum idhā farīqun minkum birabbihim yush'rikūn
The Bee / an-Nahl (16:54)
Connections 4 single-source 1 commentator
Multi-source connections
No verses on this ayah are cited by 2 or more commentators using numeric S:A notation. All extracted references come from a single source's commentary.
Single-source mentions (4) cited by only one commentator
By commentator who cites how many verses on this ayah
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) 4 verses
Note: these connections are extracted from numeric S:A references inside the commentary text and are therefore biased toward mufassirun who use that notation. Prose-style references (e.g. "Surat al-Baqarah verse 30") will be added later, which should surface additional multi-source consensus.
yet when He has relieved you of your hardship- lo and behold!- some of you attribute partners to your Lord
thumma idhā kashafa l-ḍura ʿankum idhā farīqun minkum birabbihim yush'rikūn
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Tafsir Commentary
Allah Alone is Deserving of Worship
Allah tells us that there is no god but He, and that no one else should be worshipped except Him, alone, without partners, for He is the Sovereign, Creator, and Lord of all things.
وَلَهُ الدِّينُ وَاصِبًا
(His is the religion Wasiba) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Maymun bin Mahran, As-Suddi, Qatadah and others said that this means forever. It was also reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "It means obligatory." Mujahid said: "It means purely for Him," i.e., worship is due to Him Alone, from whoever is in the heavens and on earth. As Allah says:
أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ
(Do they seek other than the religion of Allah, while to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly. And to Him shall they all be returned.) (3:83) This is in accordance with the opinion of Ibn `Abbas and `Ikrimah, which is that this Ayah is merely stating the case. According to the opinion of Mujahid, it is by way of instruction, i.e., it is saying: You had better fear associating partners in worship with Me, and be sincere in your obedience to Me. As Allah says:
أَلاَ لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ
(Surely, the pure religion (sincere devotion) is for Allah only.) (39:3) Then Allah tells us that He is the One Who has the power to benefit and harm, and that the provisions, blessings, good health and help, His servants enjoy are from His bounty and graciousness towards them.
ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْـَرُونَ
(Then, when harm touches you, to Him you cry aloud for help.) meaning because you know that none has the power to remove that harm except for Him, so when you are harmed, you turn to ask Him for help and beg Him for aid. As Allah says:
وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الْضُّرُّ فِى الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلاَ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّـكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ وَكَانَ الإِنْسَـنُ كَفُورًا
(And when harm touches you at sea, those that you call upon vanish, except for Him. But when He brings you safe to land, you turn away. And man is ever ungrateful.)(17:67) Here, Allah tells us:
ثُمَّ إِذَا كَشَفَ الضُّرَّ عَنْكُمْ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْكُم بِرَبِّهِمْ يُشْرِكُونَ لِيَكْفُرُواْ بِمَآ ءاتَيْنَـهُمْ
(Then, when He has removed the harm from you, behold! some of you associate others in worship with their Lord (Allah). So they are ungrateful for that which We have given them!) (16:54-55) It was said that the Lam here (translated as "So") is an indicator of sequence, or that it serves an explanatory function, meaning, `We decreed that they would conceal the truth and deny the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon them. He is the One Who bestows blessings and the One Who removes distress.' Then Allah threatens them, saying:
فَتَمَتَّعُواْ
(Then enjoy yourselves) meaning, do what you like and enjoy what you have for a little while.
فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
(but you will soon come to know.) meaning the consequences of that.
Then when He has rid you of the misfortune behold a group of you attribute partners to their Lord
[Then when He has rid you of the misfortune] behold, a group of you attribute partners to their Lord, by ascribing grace to other than Him and seeing that [grace as coming] from that [other]; likewise [they attribute partners to Him] by ascribing harm to another and referring the sin of that to that [other] and seeking the help of that [other] in removing it. God, exalted be He, said: 'I, the jinn and humanity constitute an awesome tiding: I create, yet other than Me is worshipped and I provide, yet other than Me is thanked'. That is [true] ingratitude for [His] graces and obliviousness to the Gracious one, both of which are alluded to in His statement:
[Then when He has rid you of the misfortune] behold, a group of you attribute partners to their Lord, by ascribing grace to other than Him and seeing that [grace as coming] from that [other]; likewise [they attribute partners to Him] by ascribing harm to another and referring the sin of that to that [other] and seeking the help of that [other] in removing it. God, exalted be He, said: 'I, the jinn and humanity constitute an awesome tiding: I create, yet other than Me is worshipped and I provide, yet other than Me is thanked'. That is [true] ingratitude for [His] graces and obliviousness to the Gracious one, both of which are alluded to in His statement:
ثم إذا كشف عنكم البلاء والسقم، إذا جماعة منكم بربهم المُنْعِم عليهم بالنجاة يتخذون معه الشركاء والأولياء.
وقال ههنا "ثم إذا كشف الضر عنكم إذا فريق منكم بربهم يشركون ليكفروا بما آتيناهم" قيل اللام ههنا لام العاقبة وقيل لام التعليل بمعنى قيضنا لهم ذلك ليكفروا أي يستروا ويجحدوا نعم الله عليهم وأنه المسدي إليهم النعم الكاشف عنهم النقم ثم توعدهم قائلا "فتمتعوا" أي اعملوا ما شئتم وتمتعوا بما أنتم فيه قليلا "فسوف تعلمون" أي عاقبة ذلك.
وقوله - سبحانه - ( ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضر فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْأَرُونَ ثُمَّ إِذَا كَشَفَ الضر عَنْكُمْ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْكُم بِرَبِّهِمْ يُشْرِكُونَ ) بيان لطبيعة الإِنسان ، ولموقفه من خالقه - عز وجل - والضر : يشمل المرض والبلاء والفقر وكل ما يتضرر منه الإِنسان .وقوله ( تجأرون ) من الجؤار بمعنى - رفع الصوت بالاستغاثة وطلب العون ، يقال : جأر فلان يجأر جأرا وجؤارا ، إذا رفع صوته بالدعاء وتضرع واستغاث وأصله : صياح الوحش .
يقول تعالى ذكره: ثم إذا وهب لكم ربكم العافية، ورفع عنكم ما أصابكم من المرض في أبدانكم ، ومن الشدة في معاشكم، وفرّج البلاء عنكم (إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِنْكُمْ بِرَبِّهِمْ يُشْرِكُونَ ) يقول : إذا جماعة منكم يجعلون لله شريكا في عبادتهم، فيعبدون الأوثان ، ويذبحون لها الذبائح شكرا لغير من أنعم عليهم بالفرج مما كانوا فيه من الضرِّ .
" ثم إذا كشف الضر عنكم إذا فريق منكم بربهم يشركون " .
وأتبع هذه بنعمة أخرى وهي نعمة كاشف الضرّ عن الناس بقوله تعالى : { ثم إذا كشف الضر عنكم } الآية .و { ثُمّ } للترتيب الرتبي كما هو شأنها في عطف الجمل . وجيء بحرف { ثُمّ } لأنّ مضمون الجملة المعطوفة أبعد في النّظر من مضمون المعطوف عليها فإن الإعراض عن المنعم بكشف الضرّ وإشراك غيره به في العبادة أعجب حالاً وأبعد حُصولاً من اللجأ إليه عند الشدّة .والمقصود تسجيل كفران المشركين ، وإظهار رأفة الله بالخلق بكشف الضرّ عنهم عند التجائهم إليه مع علمه بأن من أولئك من يُشرك به ويستمرّ على شركه بعد كشف الضرّ عنه .و { إذَا } الأولى مضمنة معنى الشرط ، وهي ظرف . و { إذا } الثانية فجائية . والإتيان بحرف المفاجأة للدّلالة على إسراع هذا الفريق بالرجوع إلى الشرك وأنه لا يتريث إلى أن يبعد العهد بنعمة كشف الضرّ عنه بحيث يفجأون بالكفر دفعة دون أن يترّقبه منهم مترّقب ، فكان الفريق المعني في قوله تعالى : { إذا فريق منكم } فريق المشركين .
تفسير الآيتين 53 و 54 :ـوالله المنفرد بالعطاء والإحسان { وَمَا بِكُمْ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ } ظاهرة وباطنة { فَمِنَ اللَّهِ } لا أحد يشركه فيها، { ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ } من فقر ومرض وشدة { فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْأَرُونَ } أي: تضجون بالدعاء والتضرع لعلمكم أنه لا يدفع الضر والشدة إلا هو، فالذي انفرد بإعطائكم ما تحبون، وصرف ما تكرهون، هو الذي لا تنبغي العبادة إلا له وحده. ولكن كثيرا من الناس يظلمون أنفسهم، ويجحدون نعمة الله عليهم إذا نجاهم من الشدة فصاروا في حال الرخاء أشركوا به بعض مخلوقاته الفقيرة
ثم إذا كشف الضر عنكم أي البلاء والسقم .إذا فريق منكم بربهم يشركون بعد إزالة البلاء وبعد الجؤار . فمعنى الكلام التعجيب من الإشراك بعد النجاة من الهلاك ، وهذا المعنى مكرر في القرآن ، وقد تقدم في " الأنعام ويونس " ويأتي في " سبحان " وغيرهما وقال الزجاج : هذا خاص بمن كفر .
From time immemorial, whenever a man finds himself in such trouble that he is absolutely helpless, he starts remembering God. Even polytheists and others who deny the truth behave in this way. This shows that the concept of God is embedded in human nature. When man has no further recourse, he turns at last to God. But strangely, man is so neglectful that when he is relieved of his trouble, he once again becomes preoccupied with the remembrance of his imaginary gods and attributes the benefit received by him to somebody other than God. Satan has introduced different types of false rites among the general people in order to perpetuate and strengthen their belief that imaginary gods are worthy of worship. One of them is to set apart a share of their income for them. Such ceremonies are a sort of falsity in the world of God, because this amounts to giving thanks to entities other than God for the benefits received from Him.
Even the Punishment of the World is Mercy in Disguise
In the verses cited above, after having mentioned various punishments which could seize disbelievers within this world, it was said in the end: فَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ (So, indeed your Lord is Very Kind Very Merciful).
First of all, by using the word: رَبّ (Rabb: Lord) here, the hint given is that all these punishments which overtake human beings in this world are there to warn them as part of the dictates of Divine mercy. After that, by introducing the word: رَءُوفٌ(Ra uf: Kind) headed by the intensifying particle lam) that is, the lam of ta'kid), and thus by placing stress on the fact that Allah Ta’ ala was Very Kind and Very Merciful, the hint given was that warnings sent during the life of the world were, in reality, called for by His intrinsic Kindness and Mercy so that heedless men and women would learn from the warning and correct their deeds (before comes 'the last spasm of mass extinction' they themselves are talking about at the closing of the twentieth century, but are still not ready to learn, believe and correct).
(And afterward, when He hath rid you of the misfortune) when He removes hardship from you, (behold! a set of you) a group of you (attribute partners to their Lord) i.e. idols,