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﴿48﴾ فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظاً إِنْ عَلَيْكَ إِلَّا الْبَلاغُ وَإِنَّا إِذَا أَذَقْنَا الْأِنْسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً فَرِحَ بِهَا وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَإِنَّ الْأِنْسَانَ كَفُورٌ

48. But if they turn away [do not be sad, since] We have not sent you [O Muhammad] as a protector over them [to make them believe]. Your duty is to convey [the Message]. Indeed, when We cause man to taste of Mercy from Us, he rejoices thereat [and neglects his duties]; but when some ill befalls them because of the deeds which their hands have sent forth [they consign Divine Bounties to oblivion and] then verily, man [becomes] ingrate!

Exegesis:

The Noble Prophet’s (SAW) duty was to impart Divine Call rather than make people believe in God Almighty. Mercy is from God Almighty but afflictions are the consequences of man’s vicious deeds. To console His Messenger (SAW) deeply concerned with disbelievers’ denial of his Call, God Almighty bids unto him to not be sad since He did not appoint him to watch over their deeds rather his duty solely lies in guiding them to the Strait Path of Divine Laws and impart his Prophetic Call.

The blessed Verse closes with human vices saying that whenever God Almighty makes man taste of His Mercy and Bounties, he rejoices and whenever he is afflicted with afflictions as the evil consequences of his vicious deeds, he becomes ingratiate, since it is a human characteristic that he

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is ingratitude for Blessings. It is his natural disposition that even if he rejoices Blessings for a hundred years but is afflicted with some unfavorable circumstance, he will forgive those Blessings and Favors and complaints of afflictions and becomes ingratitude for Divine Blessings.