Al-Qur'an Surah Fussilat Verse 51

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When We bestow Our favor upon man, he avoids (to appreciate it) and keeps himself far aside (from obedience), and when some evil touches him, he is full of lengthy prayers.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

When We show favour to someone, they turn away, acting arrogantly. And when touched with evil, they make endless prayers ˹for good˺.

Ruwwad Translation Center

When We bestow favor upon man, he turns away and distances himself [from Us]; but when evil touches him, he is full of prolonged supplication.

A. J. Arberry

And when We bless man, he turns away and withdraws aside; but when evil visits him, he is full of endless prayers.

Abdul Haleem

Whenever We are gracious to man, he goes away haughtily, but, as soon as evil touches him, he turns to prolonged prayer.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And when We shew favour Unto man, he turneth aside and withdraweth on his side, and when evil toucheth him, then he is full of prolonged prayer.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When We bestow favours on man, he turns away, and gets himself remote on his side (instead of coming to Us); and when evil seizes him, (he comes) full of prolonged prayer!

Abul Ala Maududi

When We bestow Our favour upon man, he turns away and waxes proud; but when a misfortune touches him, he is full of supplication.

Ahmed Ali

When We show Our favours to man he moves away and turns aside; but when in trouble he prays a great deal.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And when We favour man, he turns away and goes back afar; and when some hardship reaches him, he comes with a vast prayer!

Ali Quli Qarai

When We bless man, he is disregardful and turns aside; but when an ill befalls him, he makes protracted supplications.

Ali Ünal

When We bestow favors upon human, he retreats and draws aside (from his Lord), and when evil befalls him, then he has recourse to long supplications.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And when We bestow a favour on a person he turns aside (ungratefully) and behaves with pride. But when evil befalls him, he is full of lengthy supplications and prayers.

English Literal

And if We blessed/comforted and eased on the human/mankind he objected/opposed and he went far with his side/direction, and if the bad/evil/harm touched him, so (he is owner) of (a) wide/broad call/request/prayer .

Faridul Haque

And when We favour man, he turns away and goes back afar; and when some hardship reaches him, he comes with a vast prayer!

Hamid S. Aziz

And when We show favour to man, he turns aside and withdraws himself; and when evil touches him, he makes lengthy supplications.

Hilali & Khan

And when We show favour to man, he withdraws and turns away, but when evil touches him, then he has recourse to long supplications.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And if We make him taste mercy from Us after distress has touched him, he says: This is due to me, and I think not that the Hour will come to pass; and if I am sent back to my Lord, I shall have sure good with Him. So We shall certainly inform those who disbelieve of what they do, and We shall make them taste of hard chastisement.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when We show favor to man, he turns aside and withdraws himself; and when evil touches him, he makes lengthy supplications.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

When We show favour unto man, he withdraweth and turneth aside, but when ill toucheth him then he aboundeth in prayer.

Muhammad Sarwar

When We grant the human being a favor, he ignores it and turns away but when he is afflicted by hardship, he starts lengthy prayers.

Qaribullah & Darwish

When We favor a human, he swerves away and withdraws aside, but when evil befalls him he is full of unending prayer.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And when We show favor to man, he turns away and becomes arrogant; but when evil touches him, then he has recourse to long supplications.

Wahiduddin Khan

When We grant a blessing to a man, he turns away and draws aside, but when any evil touches him, he is full of endless prayers!

Talal Itani

When We provide comfort for the human being, he withdraws and distances himself; but when adversity befalls him, he starts lengthy prayers.

Tafsir jalalayn

And when We bestow graces upon man (insn, the generic noun [is meant]), he shows disregard, of giving thanks, and turns aside, turns his head in arrogance (a variant reading [for n'a] has na'); but when ill befalls him, he makes prolonged supplications.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَإِذَا أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى الاْإِنسَانِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَأى بِجَانِبِهِ

And when We show favor to man, he turns away and becomes arrogant;

means, he turns away from doing acts of obedience and is too proud to obey the commands of Allah.

This is like the Ayah;

فَتَوَلَّى بِرُكْنِهِ

But (Fir`awn) turned away along with his hosts, (51;39)

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ

but when evil touches him, (means, difficulties),

فَذُو دُعَاء عَرِيضٍ



then he has recourse to long supplications.

means, he asks at length for one thing. Long supplications are those which are long on words and short on meaning. The opposite is concise speech which is brief but full of meaning.

And Allah says;

وَإِذَا مَسَّ الاِنسَـنَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنبِهِ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَأيِمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَأ إِلَى ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُ

And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him! (10;12