بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
“Verily the mankind is ungrateful to his Lord”. The Holy Qur’aan
Regarding this statement, we need to find answers to the following questions:
- Which surah ( chapter) has this verse?
- What is the subject matter of that surah?
- Who is referred to by the quality of ungratefulness?
Answer to Q. 1.Now I remember only one surah which has the aayah:
إن الإنسان لربه لكنود
It is the 6th verse of surah Al- Aadiyaat. This surah was revealed at the earliest stage in Makkah, so it is a Makkan surah. Let us read the translation of this surah.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
- By the (Steeds) that run, with panting (breath),
- Then (by) the strikers (of fire) in sparks,
- Then those that make raids at morn,
- Stirring up thereby [clouds of] dust,
- Penetrating forthwith as one into the midst (of the foe);
- Verily! Man (disbeliever) is ungrateful to his Lord;
- And to that (fact) he bears witness (by his deeds);
- And verily, he is violent in the love of wealth.
- Knows he not that when the contents of the graves are brought out and poured forth (all mankind is resurrected).
- And that which is (locked up) in (human) breasts is made manifest-
- Verily, that Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) their Lord will be Well-Acquainted with them (as to their deeds), (and will reward them for their deeds).
Answer to Q.2
The subject matter of this surah as given in the commentary books, is as follows:
Its subject is to make people realize, how evil man becomes when he denies the Hereafter or becomes heedless of it; and also to warn them that in the Hereafter not only their visible and apparent deeds but even the secrets in their hearts too will be subjected to enquiry.
For this purpose the general chaos and confusion prevailing in Arabia, with which the whole country was in turmoil has been presented as an argument. Bloodshed, robbery, attacks and killing and kidnapping raged on every side. Tribes were subjecting other tribes to raids, and no one could have peaceful sleep at night due to fear that some enemy tribe might raid them early in the morning. Everyone was fully conscious of this state of affairs and realized that it was wrong.
Referring to this state of affairs , it has been said that being unaware of the second life after death and his accountability before Allah, the mankind has become ungrateful to his Lord and Sustainer. He is using the power and abilities given by God for perpetrating tyranny and cruelty. Blinded by the love of worldly wealth he tries to obtain it by every means however impure and filthy, and his own actions prove that he is abusing the power bestowed by his Lord and thus he has become ungrateful to his Lord.
He would never behave like this if he had known the time when the dead will be raised from the graves, and when the intentions and motives with which he had practiced that tyranny will be exposed before everyone to see. At that time the Lord and Sustainer of men shall be well informed of what one had done and what punishment or reward one deserved.
Answer to Q.3
Now we can clearly see that the quality “ungrateful to his Lord” is referred to the unbeliever cruel men who use the power given to them by their Lord for tyranny, cruelty killing and bloodshed.
The verses are applicable at all time. The attackers of the present era attacking with airplanes, making sparks of fire and clouds of dust, and attacking the centers of full cities causing numerous deaths in every attack and getting satisfaction with the killing of the innocents are also referred to. If they had believed that Almighty God has given them this power for a limited time and that they are accountable on a very hard Day when all of their actions along with the secrets of their hearts will be exposed and then they shall be tied up in the fire of Hell for ever, they would not commit that tyranny.