Az-Zumar 39:50

<h2>How Man changes when He is blessed after suffering Harm</h2><p>Allah tells us how man, when he is suffering from harm, prays to Allah, turning to Him in repentance and calling upon Him, but when He makes things easy for him, he transgresses and commits sins. </p><div class="arabic uthmani">إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ</div><p>(Only because of knowledge I obtained it.) means, `because Allah knows that I deserve it; if it were not for the fact that Allah regards me as special, He would not have given me this.' Qatadah said, "Because I know that I deserve it." Allah says: </p><div class="arabic uthmani">بَلْ هِىَ فِتْنَةٌ</div><p>(Nay, it is only a trial,) meaning, `the matter is not as he claims; on the contrary, We have blessed him with this as a test to see whether he will be obedient or disobedient -- although We have prior knowledge of that.' In fact, it is a trial. </p><div class="arabic uthmani">وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ</div><p>(but most of them know not!) So they say what they say and claim what they claim. </p><div class="arabic uthmani">قَدْ قَالَهَا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ</div><p>(Verily, those before them said it,) means, the previous nations who came before said the same things and made the same claims, </p><div …

Those before them said it, yet (all) that they had earned availed them not;

Thus did the (generations) before them say! But all that they did was of no profit to them.

Verily, those before them said it, yet (all) that they had earned availed them not.

Those before them said it, but what they had earned did not avail them.