Title: Clarification of Surah Al-Shooraa 42: 30 Question: Please explicate the following verse in Surah Al-Shuraa , which I am unable to place in any enabling context and am consequently led to think that it contradicts the concept of test: Whatever misfortune happens to you, is because of the things your [own] hands have wrought, and for many [of them] He grants forgiveness ( Surah Al-Shuraa 42: 30). Thank you. Omar Sarwar Singapore Answer: The referred verse is a part of Surah Al-Shooraa which addresses the Banu Ismael , among whom a messenger of God had been sent. As a result of the advent of a messenger of God - who by his very designation is a sign of God's justice - the Ishmaelites were now subjected to the law of God relating to the addressees of His messengers. According to this law, the reward and the punishment of the addressees of a messenger of God is no longer deferred till the Day of Judgment. On the contrary, their behavior and their attitude towards the call of the messenger is rewarded and/or punished during the life of this world as well. Keeping the foregoing law relating to the reward/punishment of the direct addressees of a messenger of God, we can easily derive that the referred verse entails a principle, which relates specifically to the Banu Ishmael in their capacity of being a people among whom God had sent His messenger. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad February 16, 2003