أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۖ فَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ ءَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُم مُّلْكًا عَظِيمًا 54
Translations
Or do they envy people for what Allāh has given them of His bounty? But We had already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom.
Transliteration
Am yaḥsudūn an-nāsa ʿalā mā ātāhum ul-Lāhu min faḍlihi, faqad ātaynā āla Ibrāhīm al-kitāb wa-l-ḥikmah wa-ātaynāhum mulkan ʿaẓīmā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who harbor envy toward people whom Allah has blessed with His favors, whether wealth, knowledge, or status. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as addressing the Jews' jealousy toward the Muslims and their denial of the Prophet's message. The ayah then establishes that Allah's bestowal of blessing is His sovereign choice, exemplified by His granting the family of Ibrahim the Book, wisdom, and a great kingdom—demonstrating that such gifts came through divine selection, not human merit.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Nisa (revealed in Madinah) and contextually addresses the disputes between the Muslims and the People of the Book, particularly regarding prophethood and divine favor. The specific reference to the family of Ibrahim relates to the broader Quranic discussion of prophetic lineage and the transmission of divine knowledge, which was a point of contention between communities in Madinah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said: 'Do not envy one another; do not inflate prices against one another; do not hate one another; do not turn away from one another; and do not undercut one another in trade. Rather be servants of Allah as brothers.' (Sahih Muslim 2563). Additionally, the Prophet warned against envy, stating: 'Envy consumes good deeds as fire consumes wood.' (Sunan Ibn Majah 4206)
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah's distribution of blessings is based on His infinite wisdom, not human expectations, and that harboring envy toward others' fortune is both spiritually destructive and a rejection of divine wisdom. Believers should focus on gratitude for their own provisions and trust in Allah's perfect justice rather than comparing themselves to others.
Related Ayahs
وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَعْدَآئِكُمْ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ نَصِيرًا
And Allāh is most knowing of your enemies; and sufficient is Allāh as an ally, and sufficient is Allāh as a helper.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ فِيمَ كُنتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا۟ فِيهَا ۚ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَسَآءَتْ مَصِيرًا
Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves - [the angels] will say, "In what [condition] were you?" They will say, "We were oppressed in the land." They [the angels] will say, "Was not the earth of Allāh spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?" For those, their refuge is Hell - and evil it is as a destination.
ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَرَبَّصُونَ بِكُمْ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ فَتْحٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ نَكُن مَّعَكُمْ وَإِن كَانَ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ نَصِيبٌ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ نَسْتَحْوِذْ عَلَيْكُمْ وَنَمْنَعْكُم مِّنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۚ فَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ وَلَن يَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا
Those who wait [and watch] you. Then if you gain a victory from Allāh, they say, "Were we not with you?" But if the disbelievers have a success, they say [to them], "Did we not gain the advantage over you, but we protected you from the believers?" Allāh will judge between [all of] you on the Day of Resurrection, and never will Allāh give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].
وَٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ أَن تَمِيلُوا۟ مَيْلًا عَظِيمًا
Allāh wants to accept your repentance, but those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation.