Ayah 21:1Commentary
Importance of Surah Al-Anbiya'
Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Mas’ ud ؓ has said that four Surah viz Al-Kahf, Maryam, Taha and Al-Anbiya' are among the earlier revelations which I value a lot and keep them close to my heart. (Qurtubi)
اقْتَرَ‌بَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ (The reckoning of the people has drawn near - 21:1) It means that the time is near when people will have to give an account of their deeds. Here, the reference is to the Day of Judgment, and its approach is in relation to bygone ages, as the ummah of Sayyidna Muhammad Al-Mustafa ﷺ is the last of them all. And if the meaning of the word حِسَاب reckoning) is taken in its general sense then reckoning in the grave is also included, which each individual faces immediately after death. It is for this reason that an individual's death is regarded as his Day of Reckoning. مَن مَات فقد قامت قیامتہ for a person who has died his Day of Reckoning has arrived) so the latter explanation makes the verse very clear in that the individual reckoning for everyone is not very far, no matter how long one lives, because death is certain and no one knows when it will befall. The underlying message of this verse is to warn those people, whether believers or non-believers, who are in a state of slumber due to indulgence in worldly affairs, unmindful of the certainty that all this will come to an end one day. In fact it is this disregard of the Day of Judgment which is the root cause of all ills.
Ayah 21:2مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّن رَّ‌بِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ إِلَّا اسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ ﴿2﴾ لَاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ (No new message comes to them from their Lord, but they listen to it in a state of playing, their hearts paying no heed. 21:2, 3) This verse describes the state of those who disregard the punishment in the grave and in the Hereafter and do not prepare themselves to counter it with good deeds. The verse further describes their practice of making light of new Qur'anic verses when they are recited before them. They are totally oblivious of the fear of God and the Hereafter. The verse can be explained in two other ways. One, that they keep themselves engaged in their own amusement and take no notice of Qur'anic verses when they are recited before them and two, that they redicule the Qur'anic verses themselves.
Ayahs 21:3–4أَفَتَأْتُونَ السِّحْرَ وَأَنتُمْ تُبْصِرُ‌ونَ (Would you then go along with sorcery while you have eyes to see? - 21:3) Those people used to discuss among themselves secretly that the claim of the Holy Prophet about his prophethood should not be accepted, because he was an ordinary human being like all others and not an angel. On the other hand not even the most rigid among the unbelievers could deny the supreme charm and eloquence of the Book of Allah nor its power to influence people when it was recited before them. Therefore, in order to turn people away from the Holy Book they started calling it magic and black art. They thought that they could keep people away from Islam by labeling the Qur'an as a book of magic thereby dissuading people from going to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and listening to Qur'an. Probably they used to discuss this subject secretly among themselves lest the Muslims come to know about their foolish views and unveil their fallacy.
Ayah 21:5بَلْ قَالُوا أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ (they said, [ The Further Qur'an is ] a mixture of hotch-potch dreams. - 21:5.) Dreams having an element of personal and shaitanic thoughts are called أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ. That is why this term (أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ ) has been translated as "hotch-potch dreams". What it means is that in the first place the unbelievers called the Qur'an as magic, then they described it as a collection of disturbed dreams, and then they said it was a forgery and fabrication against Allah Ta’ ala to call it His words; and finally they said that he ﷺ was a poet and the Qur'an represented his poetic compositions.
فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِآيَةٍ (So let him bring to us a sign - 21:5) It means that the unbelievers demanded from the Holy Prophet ﷺ certain specific miracles to be shown as a proof of his being a real Prophet. In response to this demand, Allah Ta` ala said in this verse that the same demand for miracles was also made by the people in the past from other prophets, and when their request was met, it was of no avail. They did not submit to Allah even after witnessing the miracles of their choice. And Allah has decreed that people who do not submit to Him even after they have seen the miracle of their choice are subjected to His wrath even in this world and are destroyed. Allah, in His Divine Mercy and in view of the honoured position of the Holy Prophet ﷺ had granted to his Ummah immunity from the terrible punishment which is the inevitable fate of those people who defy the Will of Allah. It was not, therefore, considered desirable to show them miracles of their choice because if they, like the earlier people, persisted in their unbelief even after seeing those miracles, they too would invite the wrath of Allah Ta` ala.
Ayah 21:6Then in اَفَھُم یؤمِنُونَ (Will they believe?) there is a hint that there was no likelihood of these people accepting the true faith even after seeing the miracles of their choice. Hence they were not shown the desired miracle.
Ayahs 21:7–9فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ (So, ask the people (having the knowledge) of the message, if you do not know. - 21:7) In this verse, scholars of Injil Evangele) and Torah are referred to as أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ (people of the message), who had accepted the Holy Prophet's prophethood. Therefore, what it actually means is that if you are not aware whether the prophets of the past were angels or ordinary men then you should find out from the scholars of Injil and Torah as they know perfectly well that all prophets were human beings. It is, therefore, quite possible that here the term اَھلَ :(people of the message) refers to all Jews and Christians (even though they have not believed in the Holy prophethood of the Holy Prophet ﷺ).
Ruling: Qurtubi has said in his exegesis that this verse has made it clear that ignorant persons who are not acquainted with the rules of Shari'ah must seek knowledge from scholars and then follow them accordingly.
Ayah 21:10The Holy Qur'an is an honour and pride for the Arabs
كِتَابًا فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ (a book having a good name for you - 21:10): The word (Book) is meant for Qur'an and ذکر (name) is used here for honour, excellence and fame. Thus what is meant here is that the revelation of Qur'an in Arabic language is a great honour and everlasting fame for the Arabs and they should value it as such. History has proved that by Allah's Mercy and by the blessings of Qur'an Arabs have dominated the world and ruled over it for a long time. This is also a fact of life that Arabs gained dominance over the world not because of any tribal or linguistic supremacy but because of Qur'an. If there was no Qur'an, probably no one would have known about the Arabs at all.
Ayahs 21:11–15Commentary
These verses describe the destruction of those settlements which some exegesists have taken as Fladhura' ) حضُوراء) and Qilabah (قلابہ) of Yemen. Allah Ta` ala had sent there a prophet about whose name there are different versions. Some say he was Musa Ibn Misha while others say his name was Shu` aib, in which case he was a different prophet from the one who lived in Madyan. This Prophet was killed by his people, who were, as a punishment annihilated by the infidel King Nabucad Nazzar.
This King was placed in authority over them just as he was used as an instrument for the punishment of Bani Isra'i1 when they strayed from the righteous path in Palestine. In fact, Qur'an has not identified any specific settlement. Hence it will be apt to leave the subject open, so that these settlements of Yemen may also come in its ambit. واللہ (Only Allah knows best).
Ayah 21:16Commentary
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْ‌ضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ (And We did not create the heavens and the earth ... 21:16.) It means that we have not created the sky and the earth, and everything that lies in between them for mere amusement. In the preceding verses a reference has been made to the annihilation of certain settlements. In this verse there is a suggestion that just as the creation of the earth and the sky and all other created things was according to a set design, the destruction of the settlements was also the result of a definite purpose. Having witnessed the marvels and wonders of creation which are so abundantly spread all over, manifesting Allah's omnipotence and omniscience, do they still think that all these things are futile and without significance?
The word لَاعِبِينَ is taken from لِعَب (play), which means having no useful objective (Raghib) while لَھَو (pastime) means an act which has no purpose at all except to provide amusement in free time. The disbelievers who argue against the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the Holy Qur'an and reject the Oneness of Allah and deny His Power, despite its abundant manifestations, then it is apparent that they have a notion that all this creation is meant for amusement and pastime. The verse rejects this false view and says that Allah's creation is not for fun and pastime. A little reflection will show that even the minutest particle of the universe has its utility and each and everything created by Allah has a purpose which speaks by itself for His omniscience and Oneness.
Ayah 21:17لَوْ أَرَ‌دْنَا أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًا لَّاتَّخَذْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا إِن كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ (Had We intended to have a pastime, We would have had it from Our own, if We were to do so. - 21:17) It means that if We were to create something for amusement, there was no need to create the earth and the sky, and We could have done so from the things around Us.
In Arabic language the word لَو is used for imaginary and non-existent things. Here also it is used in the same sense i.e. those foolish people who regard all the wonderful things of the earth and the sky objects of fun and frolic do not realize that creation on such a gigantic scale cannot be undertaken for amusement. The suggestion here is that even a person of ordinary common sense would not indulge in a project which has no serious purpose, to say nothing of Allah Ta` ala who is Supreme and Exalted.
The commonly accepted meaning of لَھو is a purposeless pastime, and this meaning has been adopted in translating this verse. According to some commentators this word لَھو is also used sometimes for wife or children in which case the meaning of the verse would be a denial of the belief of the Jews and Christians, who thought that Sayyidna ` Uzair and Sayyidna Masih (علیہما السلام) were God's sons. If Allah wished to have children why should they be from humans and not from other creatures around Him. (Allah knows best).
Ayah 21:18بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ (Instead, We launch the truth against the falsehood, which smashes it, and in no time it is nothing. - 21:18) The literal meaning of قَذَف is to throw horizontally which has been translated above as launching) یدمَغُ means to hit on the head (to smash it) and زَاھِق means something which is gone or vanishes without leaving a trace.
This verse explains that Allah has not created this marvelous universe with earth and the sky for amusement. This creation is the result of a carefully thought out plan which aims at distinguishing right from wrong. Observation of Nature's creations leads people along the righteous path and protects them from evil. This idea is conveyed in the verse by saying that virtue is hurled against evil and smashes its head so completely that it disappears without a trace.
Ayah 21:19وَمَنْ عِندَهُ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُ‌ونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُ‌ونَ (And those who are near Him are not arrogant against His worship, nor are they sluggish. - 21:19) It means that Allah's servants who are with Him i.e. angels pray to Him all the time without ceasing. So, if the humans do not pray to Him, it will not make any difference to Him, but they themselves will be the losers. It is human nature to judge others by applying one's own situation to them. Hence there are two possibilities preventing a person from offering acts of worship ceaselessly. One, that he regards it below his dignity to bow down before any one and therefore does not pray to Allah Ta` ala. Secondly, it is physically not possible for a man to worship without a break because he needs to rest in between. In view of these two human constraints, it is explained towards the end of the verse that the angels are free from these compulsions. They do not regard it below their dignity to worship Allah constantly nor do they get tired or need any rest or sleep.
Ayah 21:20This point has been brought to a conclusion in the next verse by saying يُسَبِّحُونَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُ‌ونَ , (They proclaim His purity night and day, never slackening - 21:20).
Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Harith ؓ عنہ said that he asked Ka` b al-Abbar ؓ how it was that angels kept reciting tasbih (proclaiming Allah's purity) all the time. Did they not have anything else to do? And if they did how could they do both things simultaneously, that is reciting tasbih and do other things. To this Ka'b replied "0 my nephew! Does performance of any of your jobs prevent you from breathing?" The truth is that tasbih comes to angels just as breathing comes to human beings which continues without stopping whatever else he may be doing.(Qurtubi, Al-Bahr ul-Muhit)
Ayah 21:21أَمِ اتَّخَذُوا آلِهَةً مِّنَ الْأَرْ‌ضِ هُمْ يُنشِرُ‌ونَ (Or have they taken to gods from the earth who raise the dead? - 21:21) Here the ignorance of polytheists is described variously. Allah says how foolish and ignorant the polytheists are that they have made their gods from amongst the creatures of the earth who do not have the power of life and death.
Ayah 21:22Only a Being which has these powers is worthy of being worship لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَا آلِهَةٌ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ لَفَسَدَتَا (Had there been gods in them [ the heavens and the earth ] other than Allah, both would have fallen in disorder. - 21:22). This is an argument of common nature in favour of the Oneness of Allah which is based on common practice. It is also a logical proof of the oneness of God and a great deal of literature is available to explain it in the books on theology (عِلمُ الکلَام). The argument of common nature is that if there were two Gods, each independent and sovereign, then the commands of both would prevail on the earth and in the sky which is not possible, because it is inconceivable that both of them would have common views on all matters. And if there are differences of opinion which is inevitable where power is shared, there could be conflict, which would always lead to chaos and confusion. The suggestion that the two Gods could consult each other before passing orders has been adequately discussed, and rejected, in the books of theology. The thing to note is that if the two Gods had to take decisions jointly, then neither of them would have been sovereign, and a god with divided sovereignty is not God.
Ayah 21:23The next verse viz: لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ (He is not questioned of what He does, and they are questioned) probably reinforces the argument that anyone who is answerable for his actions to someone else cannot be God.
Ayahs 21:24–26هَـٰذَا ذِكْرُ مَن مَّعِيَ وَذِكْرُ مَن قَبْلِي (Here is the Message for those with me and the Message for those before me. - 21: 24) One explanation of this verse on which the translation is based is that ذِکر means Message and "Message for those with me" refers to Qur'an, while "the Message for those before me" refers to Torah, Injil (Evangel) and Zabur (Psalms), the earlier divine books. According to this interpretation, the meaning of the verse is that neither the Qur'an (which is the Book for the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his followers) nor the older books contain anything to suggest worship of anyone else but Allah. Despite the fact that the texts of Torah and Injil (Evangel) have been altered, it is not suggested in either of them that Allah has partners with whom he shares His authority. Another explanation of the verse is given in Al-Bahr ul-Muhit according to which the word (dhikr) means here "description", and the sense is that this Qur'an is a description for the people who were in the days of the Holy Prophet ﷺ which describes for them the rules of Shari'ah and invites them to the correct way of life. At the same time it is a description of those who were before the Holy Prophet ﷺ because it keeps alive the stories and the traditions of people long gone by.
Ayahs 21:27–29لَا يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُم بِأَمْرِ‌هِ يَعْمَلُونَ (They do not precede Him in speech and only under His command they act. 21:27) This verse refutes the claim of pagans of Makkah that angels were daughters of Allah. How can angels be Allah's children when they stand in such awe in His presence that they neither initiate any talk nor act against His commands. They simply await His words and act accordingly. This also points towards an important etiquette of behaving in the company of elders. That is, when a matter is brought forth in front of a group of people, the people before speaking themselves first, should wait until the elder among such a group has spoken. Speaking prior to the elder is contrary to the manners governing respect of elders.
Ayah 21:30Commentary
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا (Have the disbelievers not seen. - 21:30) Here the word رُؤیَت (to see, to think) is used in its general sense i.e. knowledge, whether acquired by visual observation or by way of logical conclusion. The discussion which follows refers partly to actual observation and partly to logical inference.
أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا (The heavens and the earth were closed, then We opened them. - 30) The word رَتَق (ratq) means to close and فَتَق (fatq) means to open. When used in combination the words mean full control in the management and execution of a job. The translation of the verse is that the earth and the sky were closed and Allah opened them up. Different exegesists have explained differently the sense of the words "closing" and "opening", but the meanings which the companions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the majority of the exegesists have adopted are that closing of sky and earth means shutting off rainfall from the sky and vegetation from the earth, and opening means the opening of these two i.e. the rainfall and vegetation.
The following story about Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ has been related in Ibn Kathir's commentary on the authority of Ibn Abi Hatim. A man went to Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ and requested him to explain the meaning of this verse to him. He pointed out towards Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ and told him to go to him for an explanation of the verse. He also requested him to let him know the explanation that Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ gave to him. The man went to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ and asked him what do the words رَتَقاً (ratqan) and فَتَقنَا (fataqna) mean in the verse. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ replied that originally the sky was closed and there was no rainfall, likewise the earth was closed and there was no growth on it. When Allah Ta'ala sent down man on earth to live here He opened up rainfall from the sky and the vegetation from the earth. After learning the explanation of the verse the man went back to Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar ؓ and repeated to him what he had learnt from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Then Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ remarked that he was then left in no doubt that Allah Ta'ala had graciously bestowed upon Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ a complete knowledge of Qur'an. He further said that previously he used to consider Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas's ؓ explanations of the Holy Qur'an as bold attempts, of which he did not approve. But now he was convinced that Allah Ta'ala had granted to him special insight into the meaning of Qur'an, and that the explanation he gave of the words رَتق و فَتق was absolutely correct.
This story of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ is also reported in Ruh ul-Ma` ani through Ibn Mundhir and Abu Nu'aim, and a group of the scholars of hadith including Hakim, the writer of Mustadark, who has accepted the tradition as correct.
After reporting this narration Ibn Ibn ` Atiyyah al-'Aufi says that this interpretation is hasan and comprehensive, and is compatible with the text of the Qur'an. It contains a lesson and argument against the infidels and also mentions about the Omnipotence and the special bounties of Allah Ta'ala, which is the basis of His Oneness and recognition of His attributes. The following sentence وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّ‌جْعِ ﴿11﴾ وَالْأَرْ‌ضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ ﴿12﴾ (and We created from water every living thing) also corroborates this interpretation. Al-Bahr ul-Muhit has also adopted the same interpretation. Qurtubi has declared this explanation to be that of ` Ikrimah as well and said that another verse also endorses this meaning.'
Tabari has also adopted this very interpretation.
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ (And We created from water every living thing. - 21:30) Water is an essential element in the creation of all living things. According to the latest research it is not only the humans and animals which possess both life and soul but also plants and minerals. Water plays a very important role in the creation, growth and evolution of all living things.
1. The author has explained the interpretation of this verse as adopted by many authorities. But the miraculous style of the Holy Qur’ an is that the words used by it may have different possibilities for interpretation. The words ratq and fatq used here have another meaning which is 'being compact' and 'being separated'. If these words are taken in this sense, the verse may also be translated as, "The heavens and the earth were compact, then We separated them." In this case the verse will refer to an event of the early creation, meaning thereby that the heavens and the earth were originally a single body. Thereafter Allah separated the earth from the heavens. The contemporary research about the Big Bang is close to this description. But it should always be kept in mind that the Qur'anic descriptions are independent of any scientific theory and the Qur'an should not be made subject to ever-changing theories. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)
Ibn Kathir has quoted Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ on the authority of Imam Ahmad (رح) ، that he requested the Holy Prophet ﷺ to tell him how things were created. The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied that everything was created from water. Then Abu Hurairah ؓ asked about the acts that lead one to the Jannah. The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied:
اَفش السّلام واطعم و صل الارحام وقم بالّیل والناس نیام ثُمّ ادخل الجنّۃ بسلام (تفرد بہ احمد و حٰذا اسناد علی شرط الشیخین الخ)
"Make greeting with Salam common between you, and feed (others) and observe the rights of kinship, and stand (in prayers) at night when people are asleep. Then enter the Jannah with peace".
Ayahs 21:31–32وَجَعَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ رَ‌وَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ (And We created mountains on the earth, lest it should shake with them. 21:31) The word مَید (mayd) in Arabic language means to be convulsed. Therefore, the meaning of this verse is that Allah Ta` ala has planted mountains on the earth to hold it in place because any violent movement of the earth would be catastrophic to those who live on it.
Ayah 21:33كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ (Each floating in an orbit - 21:33) The word فَلَک '' (falak) is used for circle or anything round. For this reason the word فَلَک '' (falak) is also used sometimes for sky. In this verse it means the orbits of the sun and the moon in which they revolve. The Qur'anic words do not specify the location of the orbits in the space but space research has now established that these orbits are located in the space much below the sky. This verse apparently indicates that the Sun also moves around an orbit. The scientists previously did not believe in the rotation of the Sun, but the most modern research has now accepted it.
Ayah 21:34Commentary
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ (And We did not assign immortality to any human (even) before you. - 21:34) The preceding verses give a strong and logical rebuttal of the unfounded and exaggerated beliefs of the infidels and polytheists to the effect that Sayyidna Masih and Sayyidna ` Uzair (علیہما السلام) are the associates of God or that Masih and the Angels are God's children. Unable to come up with a satisfactory answer to the rational and logical arguments given by the Qur'an, the infidels of Makkah were in despair and wished for the death of the Holy Prophet ﷺٍ. This has been mentioned in some other verses also, like e.g. نَّتَرَ‌بَّصُ بِهِ رَ‌يْبَ الْمَنُونِ (52:30). In this verse (34) Allah Ta` ala has given two answers to their pitiable wish. One, that even if the Holy Prophet ﷺ died early how would it help them? If they thought that they could use the death of the Holy Prophet ﷺ as an argument against his prophethood, they were very much mistaken, because all the other Prophets (علیہم السلام) whose prophethood they themselves had accepted, also died when their time came. Thus, if the death of their own prophets did not alter their position as prophets, how could the death of the Holy Prophet ﷺ change his position? Secondly, if their purpose in wishing for his early death was only to appease their frustration, then they should have known that death is universal, and everybody has to die sooner or later.
اگر بمرد عدو جأٰے شادمانی نیست کہ زندگانیء مانیز جاودانی نیست
If an enemy dies, it is not to be rejoiced, because our own life is not eternal.
Ayahs 21:35–36What is death?
Allah has said كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ 'Every soul has to taste death'. Here the word soul refers to the living things of the earth, who must all face death, but does not include the angels. There is a difference of opinion about whether the angels will also die or not on the Day of Judgment. Some say that every living thing will die, though momentarily, irrespective of whether they are of the earth or the skies. But others maintain that angels and hurs and ghilman of Paradise are excluded from this general rule. (Only God knows best) (Ruh ul-Ma` ani) Majority of the scholars believe that death is the departure of soul from the mortal human frame, while soul itself is a subtle ethereal living thing which is made of light and resides in human body just as fragrance resides in the rose. Ibn al-Qayyim has convincingly proved this point in his book. (Ruh ul-Ma` ani)
The term ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ means that every individual will feel the pain of death - 21:35, because considering the manner in which body and soul are conjoined together their separation should obviously entail some pain. There are some saintly persons who regard death as a deliverance from the trials and tribulations of the worldly life and a means of bringing them closer to their Supreme love, that is Allah. This pleasure does not negate the agony of death, because where the reward is high, a little pain is easily tolerated.
Worldly comforts and discomforts are a test
وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً
And We test you all through bad and good (situations) with a trial. - 21:35
It means that man is tested both by good things and by bad things. شَر (bad) includes unpleasant things such as illness, grief, pain, poverty etc. while خَیر (good) means desirable things, like good health, happiness, comfort and abundance. Man is subjected to these conditions in this world for test and the test is that he should show patience and endurance in the face of adversity and should offer thanks to Allah when his life is peaceful and comfortable. Wise men have said that, it is more difficult to be steadfast and consistent in offering thanks to Allah for His gifts than to persevere and show patience in difficult circumstances. Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ is reported to have said:
بُلینا بالضّراء فصبرنا و بلینا بالسّراء فلم نصبر (روح المعانی)
"We were tested by discomforts and We bore it with patience, but when we were tested by pleasures, we could not observe patience (i.e. we could not offer gratitude to Allah as was due) ". (Ruh ul-Ma'ani)