Despair or far-stretching calling when harm touches the human
وَإِذَآ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَٰنِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَـَٔا بِجَانِبِهِۦ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ
wa-idhā anʿamnā ʿalā l-insāni aʿraḍa wa-nāʾa bi-jānibihi wa-idhā massahu l-sharru — And when We bestow ease and pleasant good upon the human, he turns away and draws off to his side; but when harm touches him
Two verses share an identical opening about the human's turning away in ease, then diverge in how he responds to harm: in (17:83) he is deeply despairing, while in (41:51) he becomes one of far-stretching calling.
The two verses (17:83) and (41:51) are identical in their first two clauses: when We bestow ease upon the human, he turns away and draws off to his side, and when harm touches him. The divergence comes at the third clause. In (17:83) the words are كَانَ يَـُٔوسًا, 'he is ever deeply despairing' — a perfect verb كَانَ followed by an indefinite accusative noun, describing a state of despair. In (41:51) the words are فَذُو دُعَآءٍ عَرِيضٍ, 'then he is one of far-stretching calling' — a nominative noun ذُو governing two indefinite genitive nouns, introduced by فَ, marking a consequence: when harm touches him, then he is an owner of extensive calling. The contexts differ accordingly. In (17:83) the verse sits between (17:82), on what the Recitation increases or heals, and (17:84), 'each one acts according to his own pattern', so the despairing human illustrates a pattern of response. In (41:51) the preceding verse (41:50) already gives the human's speech in ease — 'this is for me' — and his doubt about the Hour, so the 'far-stretching calling' of (41:51) follows a portrait of self-attribution and denial, and (41:52) turns to the audience with a question about covering over what is from alongside Allah. The shared opening thus frames the same human under ease, while each verse's distinct third clause — despair in one, abundant calling in the other — sets a different tone before its distinct context.
Where it occurs
- 17:83 Completes the shared opening with 'he is ever deeply despairing', a fixed state of despair when harm touches the human, between verses on the Recitation's healing and on each one acting by his pattern.
- 41:51 Completes the shared opening with 'then he is one of far-stretching calling', an owner of extensive calling when harm touches the human, following a verse where the human claims ease for himself.
All Qur'anic expressions