ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِّعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا۟ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ ۙ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ 53
Translations
That is because Allāh would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
Transliteration
Dhaalika bi-anna Allaha lam yaku mughayyiran ni'matan an'amaha 'ala qawmin hatta yughayyiru ma bi-anfusihim wa-anna Allaha Samee'un 'Aleem
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes a divine principle that Allah does not withdraw the blessings He has bestowed upon a people unless they change what is within themselves—their hearts, intentions, and moral conduct. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this reflects Allah's justice; external circumstances change only when internal spiritual conditions deteriorate. The ayah underscores personal responsibility and the immutability of Allah's laws in the moral and social order.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Anfal (Medinan), which discusses the Battle of Badr and divine assistance. The broader thematic context addresses why nations rise and fall: it is not arbitrary but consequent to their internal transformation. This principle was illustrated through various nations mentioned in the Quran who lost Allah's favor after forsaking His guidance.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'If the majority of a people commit sin, Allah will send upon them a collective punishment' (referenced in various tafsir works). Additionally, the principle echoes Hadith Qudsi: 'I am as My servant thinks of Me' (Sahih Bukhari 7405), emphasizing the connection between internal state and divine response.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that societal decline and the loss of blessings are not imposed arbitrarily by Allah but are direct consequences of moral and spiritual corruption within communities. For modern readers, it emphasizes that personal and collective reform must begin with internal transformation—changing one's intentions, values, and character—rather than hoping for external circumstances to improve without personal effort.
Related Ayahs
لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُۥ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَا۟ذْبَحَنَّهُۥٓ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّى بِسُلْطَـٰنٍ مُّبِينٍ
I will surely punish him with a severe punishment or slaughter him unless he brings me clear authorization."
بِأَىِّ ذَنۢبٍ قُتِلَتْ
For what sin she was killed
وَقَضَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا
And We conveyed to the Children of Israel in the Scripture that, "You will surely cause corruption on the earth twice, and you will surely reach [a degree of] great haughtiness."
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَحْسَنُ أَثَـٰثًا وَرِءْيًا
And how many a generation have We destroyed before them who were better in possessions and [outward] appearance?