وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا 82
Translations
And We send down of the Qur’ān that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.
Transliteration
Wa nunazzilu mina al-Qur'ani ma huwa shifaa'un wa rahmatun lil-mu'mineen, wa la yazidu az-zalimeen illa khasarah
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that the Qur'an is a cure (shifaa') and mercy for the believers—healing them spiritually, physically, and morally through its guidance and remembrance of Allah. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that while the Qur'an is medicine for the faithful, it increases the disbelievers in loss and wretchedness (khasarah) because they reject its signs and turn away from its guidance, making their hearts harder and their misguidance more severe.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Isra is a Meccan surah addressing the Quraysh during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet (peace be upon him). This ayah contextualizes the Qur'an's fundamental nature as a divine remedy, contrasting the benefits received by believers with the spiritual harm incurred by those who reject it—reinforcing that the Qur'an's effect depends entirely on the listener's receptiveness and faith.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Indeed, in the Qur'an there is healing for the breasts,' (Sunan Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad). Also: 'The best cure is the Qur'an' (attributed in Islamic tradition, though the exact chain varies).
Themes
Key Lesson
The Qur'an's transformative power is conditional upon sincere belief and receptiveness—for those who open their hearts to it, it brings profound healing and mercy, while for those who stubbornly reject it, it deepens their spiritual loss. This teaches us that faith is an active choice, and our relationship with the Qur'an determines whether it becomes a source of guidance or a reminder of our own rejection.
Related Ayahs
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ نُوحٍ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرًۢا بَصِيرًا
And how many have We destroyed from the generations after Noah. And sufficient is your Lord, concerning the sins of His servants, as Aware and Seeing.
وَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٌ فِى ٱلْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ مِّنَ ٱلذُّلِّ ۖ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًۢا
And say, "Praise to Allāh, who has not taken a son and has had no partner in [His] dominion and has no [need of a] protector out of weakness; and glorify Him with [great] glorification."
ذَٰلِكَ جَزَآؤُهُم بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَقَالُوٓا۟ أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَـٰمًا وَرُفَـٰتًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ خَلْقًا جَدِيدًا
That is their recompense because they disbelieved in Our verses and said, "When we are bones and crumbled particles, will we [truly] be resurrected [in] a new creation?"
وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُوا۟ فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْقَوْلُ فَدَمَّرْنَـٰهَا تَدْمِيرًا
And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent but they defiantly disobey therein; so the word [i.e., deserved decree] comes into effect upon it, and We destroy it with [complete] destruction.