لِيَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ وَلِيَتَمَتَّعُوا۟ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ 66
Translations
So that they will deny what We have granted them, and they will enjoy themselves. But they are going to know.
Transliteration
Liyakfuroo bimaa aataynahum wa liyatamattaAAoo fasawfa yAAlamoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the disbelievers who reject the blessings and provisions that Allah has granted them, using these gifts solely for temporary enjoyment and worldly pleasures rather than gratitude and obedience. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that the ayah warns of the inevitable consequence—these people will soon come to know the punishment awaiting them, either in this life through humiliation or in the Hereafter. Al-Tabari emphasizes that ingratitude toward Allah's blessings compounds the sin and hastens divine retribution.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the Meccan surah Al-'Ankabut, which addresses the test of faith and the reality that disbelievers often enjoy temporary worldly advantages. The broader context deals with how polytheists acknowledge Allah's provision in moments of hardship but return to disbelief and indulgence once safe, exemplified by the metaphor of the spider's fragile web. This reflects the general Meccan theme of challenging those who reject divine signs despite witnessing Allah's power and mercy.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895), relating to gratitude for blessings. Additionally, the hadith 'Whoever is grateful for blessings will increase in them, and whoever is ungrateful will lose them' (Sunan Ibn Majah 4687) directly resonates with the theme of ingratitude.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that receiving Allah's blessings carries responsibility and requires gratitude and righteous conduct; merely enjoying worldly gifts without acknowledging their source or using them in disobedience will ultimately lead to regret and punishment. Modern readers should reflect on their own use of blessings—whether material, intellectual, or spiritual—and ensure they are directed toward pleasing Allah rather than serving selfish desires.
Related Ayahs
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دَارِهِمْ جَـٰثِمِينَ
But they denied him, so the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone.
وَمَا كُنتَ تَتْلُوا۟ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ مِن كِتَـٰبٍ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُۥ بِيَمِينِكَ ۖ إِذًا لَّٱرْتَابَ ٱلْمُبْطِلُونَ
And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Then [i.e., otherwise] the falsifiers would have had [cause for] doubt.
إِنَّا مُنزِلُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَهْلِ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ رِجْزًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ
Indeed, we will bring down on the people of this city punishment from the sky because they have been defiantly disobedient."
فَكُلًّا أَخَذْنَا بِذَنۢبِهِۦ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ حَاصِبًا وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَخَذَتْهُ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَغْرَقْنَا ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allāh would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves.