Ma asaba min museebatin illa bi-ithni Allahi waman yu'min billahi yahdi qalbahu (surah Taghabun: 11)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(64:11) No misfortune *23 ever befalls unless it be by Allah's leave. *24 And whosoever has faith in Allah, Allah directs his heart along the Right Path. *25 Allah has knowledge of everything. *26

Maaa asaaba mim musee batin illaa bi-iznil laah; wa many yu`mim billaahi yahdi qalbah; wallaahu bikulli shai;in Aleem

*23) The discourse now turns to the believers. While reading this passage one should keep in mind the fact that at the time when these verses were revealed. Muslims were passing through great hardships After years of persecution at Makkah they had left their home and emigrated to Madinah, where the sincere Muslims who had given them refuge had been doubly burdened. On the one hand, they had to support and sustain hundreds of the emigrants who were coming to them from different parts of Arabia; on the other they had become the target of the persecution and enmity of the enemies of Islam of entire Arabia.
>*24) This same theme has also occurred in AI-Hadid: 22-23 above and we have explained it in E.N.'s 39 to 42 of the commentary of the Surah 'The same circumstances under which this thing was said there and the same object for which it was said underlie the verses here as well. This means that afflictions and hardships do not descend of themselves, nor has anyone in the world the power to cause an affliction to descend on anyone he may like by his own authority. AII calamities wholly depend on Allah's leave: He may allow an affliction to descend upon someone or may disallow it, And Allah's leave in any cast is based on one or other wisdom, directed to some ultimate good, which man neither knows, nor can understand.
*25) That is, "It is only belief in Allah which keeps man on the right path even in the face of an onslaught of afflictions and does not Iet him waver under the most trying circumstances. The one whose heart is devoid of belief either looks upon afflictions as a result of mere chance, or thinks they are brought or prevented by worldly powers, or considers them to be the work of such imaginary powers which human superstition regards as potent in bringing good and causing evil, or believes that God is the real Doer of everything butt dces not believe so truely and sincerely, In alI these different cases mart degenerates. He endures the affliction. but then yields and bows to every false god, accepts, every humiliation, is ready to do any mean thing and commit any wrong act he dces not hesitate to abuse God, even commit suicide. On the contrary, the heart of the person who knows and believes sincerely that everything is in the hand of AIIah, that He alone in the Master and Ruler of the urniverse that only by His permission can an affliction befall and only by His command can it be averted, is blessed by AIIah with the grace of patience and submission and of acquiescing in Divine will, and is granted the power to face every circumstance with determination and courage. Even under the most straitened circumstances the candle of the hope of Allah's bounty lights up his way and no affliction, howover severe and trying, can 50 dishearten him as to cause him to swerve from the right path, or how to falsehood, or invoke others than AIIah for the redress of his grievances. Thus, every affliction opens up for him a new door to well-being and happiness and no affliction remains an affliction for him in actual fact but becomes in final result and analysis a blessing in disguise, for whether he falls a victim to it. or passes through if safely, in each case he emerges successful from the trial set him by his Lord. This same thing has been stated by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) in a Hadith which has been reported unanimously by aII the reporters, saying: `Strange is the affair of the believer! Whatever AIIah decrees for him is good for him: when an affliction befalls him, he endures it patiently, and this proves good for him; when he is blessed with prosperity, he thanks his Lord, and this too proves good for him. Such a good fortune only falls to the lot of a believer."
*26) In this context this has two meanings: first, that Allah knows who really believes and what is the measure of his belief. So, on the basis of His knowledge He grants guidance only to that heart, which has belief in it, and grants it guidance precisely in accordance with the measure of belief. Another meaning also can be: that Allah is not unaware of the condition of His believing servants. He has not left them alone after having invited them to faith and subjected them at the same time to severe trials and temptations of the world. He knows exactly what hardships a believer is passing through in the world, and under what circumstances he is fulfilling the demands of his faith. Therefore, "O believers, you should rest assured that whatever affliction descends upon you by Allah's leave, in Allah's knowledge it must be directed to some ultimate good, which must be for your own well-being, for Allah is well-wisher of His believing servants: He does not will to subject them to afflictions and hardships without good reason."