Surah Hajj ayat 11 Tafsir Quran 22:11

﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍ ۖ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ ۖ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ﴾
[ الحج: 11]

22:11 And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss.

And among mankind there are those who worship God on a knife-edge that is with uncertainty in his worship — such a person has been likened the knife- edge of a mountain in his precariousness — if good fortune befalls him so that he enjoys health and security with respect to his own self and his property he is reassured by it; but if an ordeal befalls him a trial or ill-health with regard to himself or his property he makes a turnabout that is he reverts to disbelief losing both this world when what he had hoped for in it has eluded him and the Hereafter by his disbelief. That is the manifest loss.

And among people are some who serve Allah conditionally, standing on the brink or border, as it were, between faith without and infidelity within. If all goes well with any of them and he makes worldly gains he is gratified and he advances without and to his hearts content. And should he be tested for true belief and inclination and he is consequently befallen with a misfortune or wedded to a calamity he retracts and retreats within, he tumbles down on his face and turns renegade wherefore he loses both worlds, here and Hereafter, And this is indeed the utmost loss

The meaning of worshipping Allah as it were upon the edge Mujahid, Qatadah and others said: عَلَى حَرْفٍ ( upon the edge ) means, in doubt.
Others said that it meant on the edge, such as on the edge or side of a mountain, i.e., ( this person ) enters Islam on the edge, and if he finds what he likes he will continue, otherwise he will leave.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ ( And among mankind is he who worships Allah as it were upon the edge. ) "People would come to Al-Madinah to declare their Islam and if their wives gave birth to sons and their mares gave birth to foals, they would say, `This is a good religion,' but if their wives and their mares did not give birth, they would say, `This is a bad religion."' Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "One of them would come to Al-Madinah, which was a land that was infected with a contagious disease.
If he remained healthy there, and his mare foaled and his wife gave birth to a boy, he would be content, and would say, `I have not experienced anything but good since I started to follow this religion." وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ ( but if a Fitnah strikes him ), Fitnah here means affliction, i.e., if the disease of Al-Madinah befalls him, and his wife gives birth to a babe girl and charity is delayed in coming to him, the Shaytan comes to him and says: `By Allah, since you started to follow this religion of yours, you have experienced nothing but bad things,' and this is the Fitnah." This was also mentioned by Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ibn Jurayj and others among the Salaf when explaining this Ayah.
Mujahid said, concerning the Ayah: انْقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ ( he turns back on his face. ) "( This means ), he becomes an apostate and a disbeliever." خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةَ ( He loses both this world and the Hereafter. ) means, he does not gain anything in this world.
As for the Hereafter, he has disbelieved in Allah the Almighty, so he will be utterly doomed and humiliated.
So Allah says: ذلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَنُ الْمُبِينُ ( That is the evident loss. ), i.e., the greatest loss and the losing deal. يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لاَ يَضُرُّهُ وَمَا لاَ يَنفَعُهُ ( He calls besides Allah unto that which can neither harm him nor profit him. ) means, the idols, rivals, and false gods which he calls upon for help, support and provision -- they can neither benefit him nor harm him. ذلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلاَلُ الْبَعِيدُ ( That is a straying far away. ) يَدْعُو لَمَنْ ضَرُّهُ أَقْرَبُ مِن نَّفْعِهِ ( He calls unto him whose harm is nearer than his profit; ) means, he is more likely to harm him than benefit him in this world, and in the Hereafter he will most certainly cause him harm. لَبِئْسَ الْمَوْلَى وَلَبِئْسَ الْعَشِيرُ ( certainly an evil Mawla and certainly an evil `Ashir! ) Mujahid said, "This means the idols." The meaning is: "How evil a friend is this one upon whom he calls instead of Allah as a helper and supporter." وَلَبِئْسَ الْعَشِيرُ ( and certainly an evil `Ashir! ) means the one with whom one mixes and spends one's time.

(22:11) And there is a type of man who serves Allah standing on the borders (of the Faith *15 ); is if some good comes to him, he is satisfied (with his Faith), but if he encounters a trial, he turns his back (upon it). *16 Thus he loses both this world and the Hereafter: this is the manifest loss. *17

And of the people is he who meaning

*15) This type of man is a time server, who stands on the boundary line between Islam and kufr so that he may join the winning side whether it be Islam or kufr.

*16) As this type of man has a weak character and wavers between kufr and Islam he becomes the slave of his " self ".
He accepts Islam for the sake of selfinterest: he is faithful to it if all his wishes are fulfilled and he has a life of ease and comfort; he is well-pleased with his Allah and is " firm " in his faith.
On the contrary, if his " faith " demands some sacrifice from him, or he is visited by some affliction, or encounters some hardship and loss in the way of Allah, or he does not have his way, he begins to waver about the Godhead of Allah and the Prophethood of the Messenger and becomes sceptical about everything of the " Faith ".
Then he is ready to bow down before any power from which he expects some benefit and security from loss.

*17) This is a great moral proposition that has been stated concisely.
The fact is that the wavering man remains a loser in this world as well as in the Next World, and fares worse even than an unbeliever.
The unbeliever applies himself exclusively to the benefits of this world and becomes more or less successful in his object because he is not handicapped by the fear of Allah, accountability of the Hereafter and restrictions of Divine Law.
Likewise a true believer follows the way of Allah with fortitude and perseverance and may as well become successful in this world, but even if he loses it altogether, he is assured of success in the Next Y World.
But the " wavering Muslim " becomes a loser both in this world and in the Next World because he is handicapped by doubt and indecision and cannot make his choice between the two worlds.
As he cannot decide whether there is Allah and the Hereafter, he cannot apply himself exclusively to the worldly affairs with that single-mindedness which the unbeliever enjoys.
And when he thinks of Allah and the Hereafter, the allurements of this world and the fear of the disadvantages here and the abhorrence of observing the Divine restrictions do not let him apply himself exclusively to the demands of the Hereafter.
This conflict between " Godworship " and " World-worship " makes him a loser in this world as well as in the next.

 

The meaning of worshipping Allah as it were upon the edge Mujahid, Qatadah and others said: عَلَى حَرْفٍ ( upon the edge ) means, in doubt.
Others said that it meant on the edge, such as on the edge or side of a mountain, i.e., ( this person ) enters Islam on the edge, and if he finds what he likes he will continue, otherwise he will leave.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ ( And among mankind is he who worships Allah as it were upon the edge. ) "People would come to Al-Madinah to declare their Islam and if their wives gave birth to sons and their mares gave birth to foals, they would say, `This is a good religion,' but if their wives and their mares did not give birth, they would say, `This is a bad religion."' Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "One of them would come to Al-Madinah, which was a land that was infected with a contagious disease.
If he remained healthy there, and his mare foaled and his wife gave birth to a boy, he would be content, and would say, `I have not experienced anything but good since I started to follow this religion." وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ ( but if a Fitnah strikes him ), Fitnah here means affliction, i.e., if the disease of Al-Madinah befalls him, and his wife gives birth to a babe girl and charity is delayed in coming to him, the Shaytan comes to him and says: `By Allah, since you started to follow this religion of yours, you have experienced nothing but bad things,' and this is the Fitnah." This was also mentioned by Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ibn Jurayj and others among the Salaf when explaining this Ayah.
Mujahid said, concerning the Ayah: انْقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ ( he turns back on his face. ) "( This means ), he becomes an apostate and a disbeliever." خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةَ ( He loses both this world and the Hereafter. ) means, he does not gain anything in this world.
As for the Hereafter, he has disbelieved in Allah the Almighty, so he will be utterly doomed and humiliated.
So Allah says: ذلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَنُ الْمُبِينُ ( That is the evident loss. ), i.e., the greatest loss and the losing deal. يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لاَ يَضُرُّهُ وَمَا لاَ يَنفَعُهُ ( He calls besides Allah unto that which can neither harm him nor profit him. ) means, the idols, rivals, and false gods which he calls upon for help, support and provision -- they can neither benefit him nor harm him. ذلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلاَلُ الْبَعِيدُ ( That is a straying far away. ) يَدْعُو لَمَنْ ضَرُّهُ أَقْرَبُ مِن نَّفْعِهِ ( He calls unto him whose harm is nearer than his profit; ) means, he is more likely to harm him than benefit him in this world, and in the Hereafter he will most certainly cause him harm. لَبِئْسَ الْمَوْلَى وَلَبِئْسَ الْعَشِيرُ ( certainly an evil Mawla and certainly an evil `Ashir! ) Mujahid said, "This means the idols." The meaning is: "How evil a friend is this one upon whom he calls instead of Allah as a helper and supporter." وَلَبِئْسَ الْعَشِيرُ ( and certainly an evil `Ashir! ) means the one with whom one mixes and spends one's time.

( And among mankind is he who worshippeth Allah upon a narrow marge ) and among people there is he who worships Allah on an experimental basis, in doubt and because of expectation of some benefit. This was revealed about the Banu’l-Hallaf, the hypocrites of the Banu Asad and Ghatafan, ( so that if good ) a bounty ( befalleth him he is content therewith ) he is pleased with the religion of Muhammad ( pbuh ) but just with his tongue, ( but if a trial ) hardship ( befalleth him, he falleth away utterly ) he reverts to his first religion: associating partners with Allah. ( He loseth both the world ) by missing the life of this world ( and the Hereafter ) by losing Paradise. ( That is the sheer loss ) the loss of both this worldly life and the Hereafter.

And among mankind is he who worships Allah as it were, upon the very edge (i.e. in doubt); if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts back to disbelief after embracing Islam). He loses both this world and the Hereafter. That is the evident loss.

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