Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times

Verse Text (Arabic & English)

Arabic (39:49): 

فَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنسَانَ ضُرٌّ دَعَانَا ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلْنَاهُ نِعْمَةً مِّنَّا قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ ۚ بَلْ هِيَ فِتْنَةٌ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Transliteration:“Fa-idhā massa al-insāna ḍurrun daʿānā thumma idhā khawwalnāhu niʿmatan minnā qāla innamā ūtītuhu ʿalā ʿilmin bal hiya fitnatun walākinna aktharahum lā yaʿlamūn.”

English Translation: “And when adversity touches man, he calls upon Us. Then when We bestow a favor upon him from Us, he says, ‘I have only been given it because of [my] knowledge.’ Rather, it is a trial; but most of them do not know.”​

Introduction

This verse from Sūrat al-Zumar (39:49) succinctly describes a common human attitude: in hardship, people beseech God for help, but in times of ease, they credit their success to themselves and forget the One who answered their prayers. The verse labels this claim – “I obtained it due to my knowledge” – as a mistaken notion, clarifying that the ease or blessing is “but a test” from God, though many fail to realize it. Below, we explore its meaning in traditional Islamic theology and how it resonates with modern psychological insights.

Theological Meaning and Classical Commentary

In Islamic theology, 39:49 is understood as a rebuke of human arrogance and ingratitude. Classical scholars explain that when a person is afflicted with illness, poverty, or any distress (ḍurr), they earnestly pray to God for relief. Yet once God grants them a niʿmah (blessing or relief), the same person boasts that this fortune came due to their own knowledge, skill, or even because “God knew I deserved it.” According to al-Ṭabarī (d. 923 CE), the phrase “I have been granted this on account of my knowledge” can be interpreted in two ways: (1) the person believes “Allah knew I was worthy of this blessing, so He gave it to me”, or (2) “I achieved this by my own ability and expertise.”​

In both cases, the individual attributes the success to some presumed merit – either claiming God’s favor is proof of their righteousness or crediting their personal know-how – rather than recognizing it as a gift and test from God. Al-Qurṭubī (d. 1273) similarly notes that “‘I was given it due to knowledge’ could mean ‘due to Allah’s knowledge that I am fit for this reward,’ or, as others said, ‘because of the knowledge I possess (such as business acumen).’”​

In other words, classical exegesis highlights the self-conceit underlying this remark.

The Qur’an decisively rejects this ego-centric reasoning by stating, “bal hiya fitnah” – “Nay! Rather, it is a trial.” The 12th-century scholar Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī explains that the blessing is a test of character: will the person remain humble and grateful, or fall into arrogance? Al-Ṭabarī comments that God’s granting of relief after hardship is “a trial by which We test them”, but due to ignorance “most of them do not know why it was given to them.”​

The real purpose of the blessing is thus to prove whether the person will thank God or become heedless. Ibn Kathīr (d. 1373) writes that this verse describes “the state of man” – in suffering he prays sincerely, but when ease comes, “he says it’s only because of knowledge I have”. Ibn Kathīr compares this attitude to that of Qārūn (Korah) in the Qur’an, who arrogantly said of his vast wealth: “I was only given it because of knowledge I possess” (cf. Qur’an 28:78)​. Like Qārūn, the person in 39:49 forgets that worldly gains are not necessarily a sign of divine approval or personal greatness, but can be a form of istidrāj (gradual lure into complacency or punishment).

Related Qur’anic Parallels: This human tendency is a recurring theme in the Qur’an, emphasized in multiple passages:

• Surah Yunus 10:12: “When an affliction befalls man, he calls out to Us – lying on his side or sitting or standing – but when We remove his affliction, he carries on as if he had never called on Us for relief of the harm that touched him.”​ This paints a vivid picture of desperate supplication during crisis, followed by total forgetfulness once the crisis is over.
• Surah Al-Isrā’ 17:67: “When adversity touches you at sea, all those you invoke besides Him vanish from your hearts – but when He delivers you safely to shore, you turn away. And man is ever ungrateful.”​ Here the Qur’an underscores how quickly people abandon God when they feel safe again, showcasing human ingratitude after deliverance.
• Surah Al-Rūm 30:33: “When adversity touches people, they call upon their Lord, turning to Him in repentance. Then when He lets them taste mercy from Him, a group of them immediately associates partners with Him.”​ In ease, some even return to idolatry or other loves, as if forgetting who actually saved them.
• Surah Fuṣṣilat 41:50: “If We let him taste mercy from Us after adversity has touched him, he will surely say, ‘This is mine (due to me). I do not think the Hour (Resurrection) will occur…’”​ – the Qur’an shows how a person might not only credit themselves but grow in hubris, feeling so secure in worldly blessing that they deny accountability in the Hereafter.
• Surah Al-Maʿārij 70:20–27: “Indeed, mankind was created anxious: when evil touches him, he is impatient; and when good touches him, he withholds [it]. Except those devoted to prayer – those who are constant in prayer; and those in whose wealth is a recognized right for the beggar and deprived; and those who believe in the Day of Recompense and fear their Lord’s punishment…”​. These verses generalize the fragile nature of humans: prone to panic in hardship and selfishness in prosperity. Only people of constant faith and charity break this pattern.

Through these examples, the Qur’an drives home the lesson that turning to God only in hardship but ignoring Him in ease is a sign of spiritual shallowness. True believers strive to remember God and remain thankful at all times, not just when they need help. Theologically, 39:49 admonishes believers to avoid the trap of the self-serving mind. The verse warns us not to conflate material success with divine favor or personal virtue. Classical and contemporary scholars stress that having wealth or relief is not automatically a mark of God’s approval – it may be a test of one’s gratitude and humility​. Conversely, hardship can be a blessing in disguise if it turns a person back to God with sincerity. Modern Quranic commentators (such as Syed Qutb and Abul A’la Maududi) emphasize how this verse unmasks a psychological truth: Many people “pray feverishly to God during suffering, but once God helps them, they arrogate credit to themselves”. They caution that a believer must consciously resist this egotism through gratitude (shukr) and recognition of God’s grace. As Maududi puts it, thinking “I got this because I knew how to get it” or “God gave me prosperity because I’m special” are ignorant attitudes – in reality, worldly blessings are a trial of character, not a reward for one’s own knowledge or status​.

Historical context also illustrates this verse’s message. Early Islamic sources mention that the pagan Arabs of Mecca, who ignored the Prophet’s call, went through a severe famine that forced them to sincerely pray to Allah for rain. Abu Sufyān (a Meccan leader) even implored the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ to pray for relief on their behalf​. Yet when Allah ended the drought and prosperity returned, most of those people relapsed into denial and sin, as if their humbled prayers had never happened​. This real-life incident mirrors the “affliction to arrogance” cycle described in 39:49 and the verses above. It reminds us that forgetting God after one’s duʿā (prayer) has been answered is a betrayal of one’s own sincerity. Spiritually, such behavior is considered a grave flaw – a form of kufr al-niʿmah, i.e. ingratitude for blessings.

Thus, the theological takeaway is clear: believers are warned not to be like the person in 39:49. Instead of responding to relief with pride or amnesia, one should respond with thankfulness and humility. The verse implicitly encourages qualities of shukr (gratitude) and tawāḍuʿ (humility). In Islamic thought, every blessing is an amanah (trust) from God and a potential test of one’s faith. Success should prompt self-reflection and thanks to God, rather than self-congratulation. By highlighting how “most of them do not know” the reality, the Qur’an invites us to learn and recognize this pattern in ourselves and break it. Classical commentators often quote the Prophet’s saying: “By the One in whose hand is my soul, if you were consistently as mindful in ease as you are in hardship, the angels would greet you on the roads” (a paraphrase of a well-known ḥadīth). Theologically, then, 39:49 is both a diagnosis of human weakness and a moral exhortation to overcome that weakness through remembrance of God (dhikr) and gratitude, in good times as well as bad.

Human Psychology Reflected in the Verse

Beyond its theological message, Qur’an 39:49 offers a remarkably accurate depiction of human psychological behavior – one that modern psychology can shed further light on. The verse essentially describes a shift in mindset based on circumstances: under duress, a person becomes humble and seeks external help; in comfort, the same person becomes self-assured to the point of delusion, crediting only themselves. This aligns with what psychologists identify as common cognitive biases and behavior patterns:

• Self-Serving Bias: In social psychology, there is a well-documented tendency for people to attribute positive outcomes to themselves and negative outcomes to external factors. This is known as the self-serving bias. According to research, “the self-serving bias describes our tendency to attribute positive outcomes and successes to internal factors like our personal traits or skills, but attribute negative results or failures to external factors beyond our control.”​ The scenario in 39:49 is a textbook example: when afflicted by failure or danger, a person looks outside themselves – in this case calling on God – effectively attributing the possible failure (or the problem they cannot solve) to an external need for help. But when success comes (the problem is solved), they immediately flip to an internal attribution: “I got it because of me – my knowledge, my effort, my deservingness.” This self-congratulatory flip serves the ego, allowing the person to maintain a positive self-image. Psychologically, it feels good to think “I am the reason for my success”. Indeed, experiments have shown that many individuals naturally take credit for their successes and deflect blame for their failures​. The Qur’an pinpointed this bias centuries ago: the man in ease conveniently forgets the external help (God’s grace) that he begged for, and instead constructs a narrative that glorifies himself. Modern psychologists would say this is a way to protect one’s ego and sense of personal efficacy. However, this bias can lead to ungratefulness and a lack of personal growth, because the individual fails to acknowledge factors beyond their control that aided them – in religious terms, failing to acknowledge God’s favor.
• Cognitive Dissonance: Another relevant concept is cognitive dissonance, the mental discomfort one feels when holding contradictory beliefs or when behavior and belief don’t align. In hardship, even a proud person may find themselves praying fervently, essentially admitting “I can’t do this alone; I need God.” Later, when relief comes, that same person’s ego is confronted with the fact that they had to humble themselves. This can create an internal conflict if the person’s self-image is one of self-reliance or superiority. The theory of cognitive dissonance, developed by psychologist Leon Festinger, states that “people feel tension when their beliefs and actions conflict, and they are motivated to reduce that discomfort by adjusting their attitudes or recollections.”​ In the context of 39:49, once the danger is past, the individual might resolve the dissonance between “I had to ask God for help” and “I am in control of my success” by mentally downplaying the role of God and rewriting the narrative to say, “Actually, I got out of the situation due to my knowledge/ skill.” By “rejecting or explaining away” the memory of God’s intervention​, the person’s psyche can return to its comfort zone of believing “I am fully in charge.” This psychological mechanism can explain the almost unconscious ease with which people forget divine assistance once their crisis is over – it’s a form of motivated forgetting to reduce the discomfort of having been vulnerable. Sadly, this self-deception leads to a false sense of security and spiritual complacency.
• Situational vs. Dispositional Behavior: The verse also highlights how dramatically human behavior can change with the situation. In psychology, we distinguish between dispositional traits (how one usually is) and situational influences (how context changes behavior). A person who is ordinarily arrogant and dismissive of God suddenly becomes devout and sincere when their ship is sinking (literally, as per 17:67, or figuratively in any crisis). Yet the same person, once safely on land, reverts to type. This reflects what social psychologists call the power of the situation: context (like acute stress) can temporarily override a person’s typical disposition. The Qur’an’s repeated descriptions of people “calling God at sea and forgetting Him on land” are essentially a commentary on situational behavior. Modern psychology has many examples of how context pressures can make people act out of character (for better or worse). Here, distress brought out their latent faith, and ease brought out their latent arrogance. The consistency (or lack thereof) in character is exactly what 70:20–27 addresses: “man is anxious/impatient in hardship and ungenerous in good fortune, except those who pray and give charity consistently…”​. In psychological terms, those “exceptional” ones have a stable disposition of faith and gratitude that isn’t shaken by circumstance – they maintain humility in good times and patience in bad times. The average person, however, tends to fluctuate with circumstances. Recognizing this can help us develop more self-awareness: we might ask ourselves, “Do I only turn to God or become reflective when I’m in trouble? Do I change my attitude when I’m comfortable?” The goal, ethically and psychologically, would be to cultivate a more steady character that’s not so easily swayed by external conditions.
• Gratitude vs. Entitlement: What 39:49 ultimately contrasts is gratitude versus entitlement. From a spiritual angle, the man should have said, “God answered my prayer and blessed me; I must be thankful and acknowledge His favor.” Instead, he essentially says, “I earned this; it’s mine by right.” Psychologically, practicing gratitude has been shown to make individuals more humble and happy. Studies in positive psychology find that “people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed.” Gratitude counteracts the ego’s tendency to inflate itself. On the flip side, an entitled mindset – thinking one deserves all the good one gets – often leads to disappointment and narcissism. The man in the verse exhibits gratitude deficit: he fails to thank or even acknowledge the divine help he received. This not only is a theological failing but also has psychological costs. Research indicates that grateful people cope better with stress and have a stronger sense of connection and well-being​, whereas those who lack gratitude may become increasingly dissatisfied (since they attribute any new misfortune to external causes but take all credit for fortunes, they learn little and remain perennially insecure about losing their gains). Ingratitude can breed further anxiety – ironically, the more one thinks “this success is mine by virtue of my knowledge,” the more pressure one might feel to maintain it, and the more fearful of losing status one can become. By contrast, gratitude would allow one to enjoy blessings without ego, acknowledging that if they came from a Higher source once, they can come again, and if they depart it may be a lesson or a test. Modern therapists often encourage gratitude practices (like journaling things you’re thankful for) to cultivate a healthier mental outlook. From an Islamic viewpoint, shukr (thankfulness) is precisely the antidote the Quran urges to avoid the arrogant negligence depicted in 39:49. The verse essentially teaches that forgetting to be grateful is a form of self-delusion, whereas remembering one’s dependence on God is both spiritually and psychologically grounding.

In summary, Sūrah al-Zumar 39:49 offers a case study in human behavior that both religious wisdom and psychology recognize. It warns of the ego’s ability to forget and rationalize, encouraging us to break the cycle through mindful gratitude and consistency in faith. The “trial” (fitnah) of prosperity is, in psychological terms, a test of whether we can remain humble and reality-based about our dependence. Failing that test can reinforce unhealthy mental patterns (like narcissism or denial), while passing it – by remembering God’s role – fosters virtues that modern psychology agrees are beneficial, such as humility, resilience, and thankfulness.

Conclusion

Qur’an 39:49 weaves together theological insight and an astute observation of human psychology. Theologically, it reminds us that God is the source of relief and blessings, and He tests His servants with both hardship and ease. No blessing should be met with vanity or forgetfulness of God. Psychologically, the verse shines light on how people cope with fear and success – often rewriting their narrative to favor their ego once the fear passes. This commentary has shown how classical scholars like al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, and al-Qurṭubī interpreted the verse’s meaning, and how those meanings resonate with contemporary life and even with concepts studied in modern psychology (such as the self-serving bias and cognitive dissonance). The Qur’an’s broader treatment of this “foxhole religiosity” (praying in foxholes, forgetting in safety) across multiple verses underlines it as a universally relevant human tendency.

For both general readers and academics, the verse offers a point of reflection: Do we recognize our own selves in this description? It prompts a self-audit of our spiritual and psychological habits. The cure it implicitly offers is to remember the Source of our blessings. By doing so, one can transform moments of ease into opportunities for sincere gratitude rather than occasions of pride. In Islamic theology, every time a person avoids the pitfall of 39:49 – by thanking God for a blessing instead of claiming sole credit – they elevate their spiritual state. In psychological terms, they cultivate a healthier mindset, free of the distortions of ego and more attuned to reality and thankfulness. Thus, Qur’an 39:49 serves as both a moral warning and a psychological insight, guiding us to be as mindful of God in our prosperity as we are in our pain, and to maintain an attitude of gratitude that benefits both soul and mind.

Sources:

• The Qur’an, 39:49, with Sahih International translation​ legacy.quran.com.
• Tafsir al-Ṭabarī on 39:49, highlighting the interpretation of “given on account of knowledge” and the concept of the blessing as a fitnah (trial)​quran.com​quran.com.
• Tafsir works of al-Qurṭubī and others, as cited in Islamweb, on the two meanings of “ʿalā ʿilm” (on account of knowledge)​quran.com.
• Tafhim al-Qur’an by Abul A’la Maududi – commentary on 39:49 (footnotes) explaining the self-delusion of attributing blessings to one’s own knowledge​ surahquran.com​surahquran.com.
• Qur’anic cross-references: 10:12 ​islamicstudies.info, 17:67​legacy.quran.com, 30:33 ​legacy.quran.com, 41:50​ quran.com, and 70:19-27​ islamawakened.com, all of which underscore human behavior in adversity vs. ease.
• Psychology references: Definition of self-serving bias​ thedecisionlab.com; explanation of cognitive dissonance​ verywellmind.com; studies on gratitude and well-being (e.g. Greater Good Science Center)​greatergood.berkeley.edu. These illustrate how modern research aligns with the Quran’s portrayal of the importance of gratitude and the tendency to rationalize one’s fortunes.