يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ 172
Translations
O you who have believed, eat from the good [i.e., lawful] things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allāh if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu kulu min tayyibati ma razaqnakum washshkuru lillahi in kuntum iyyahu ta'budun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the believers to consume from the good and lawful provisions He has granted them, and to express gratitude to Him as a sign of true worship. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this ayah encourages the consumption of halal sustenance while maintaining consciousness of Allah's favor, establishing that gratitude is an integral part of servitude. Al-Qurtubi notes that the command to eat from good things refutes the ascetic notion that abstinence from lawful pleasures is superior, teaching that enjoying halal provisions with thankfulness is itself an act of worship.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan section of Surah Al-Baqarah and relates to the broader Islamic teachings on lawful sustenance and gratitude. It provides guidance for the Muslim community on balanced living—neither excessive indulgence nor unnecessary deprivation—establishing the principle that halal enjoyment paired with gratitude fulfills religious obligations.
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' (Tirmidhi), reflecting the principle of enjoying halal provisions with one's family. Additionally, 'Whoever is not grateful for the little, will not be grateful for the much' (Tirmidhi) emphasizes the gratitude component of this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that enjoying lawful provisions while maintaining gratitude to Allah is not indulgence but rather worship itself, encouraging a balanced spiritual life that neither denies the blessings of creation nor loses sight of the Creator. Modern Muslims can apply this by consuming consciously—choosing halal, thanking Allah for sustenance, and recognizing that contentment with halal blessings strengthens faith and obedience.
Related Ayahs
بَلَىٰ مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَـٰطَتْ بِهِۦ خَطِيٓـَٔتُهُۥ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
Yes, [on the contrary], whoever earns evil and his sin has encompassed him - those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.
إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ بِهِۦ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَلَآ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allāh. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ
Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِى وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ
And when My servants ask you, [O Muḥammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.