ٱسْتِكْبَارًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَكْرَ ٱلسَّيِّئِ ۚ وَلَا يَحِيقُ ٱلْمَكْرُ ٱلسَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِۦ ۚ فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا سُنَّتَ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ۚ فَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ ٱللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا ۖ وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ ٱللَّهِ تَحْوِيلًا 43
Translations
[Due to] arrogance in the land and plotting of evil; but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people. Then do they await except the way [i.e., fate] of the former peoples? But you will never find in the way [i.e., established method] of Allāh any change, and you will never find in the way of Allāh any alteration.
Transliteration
Istikbāran fil-ardi wa-makra as-sayyiʾ. Wa lā yaḥīqu al-makru as-sayyiʾu illā bi-ahlih. Fa-hal yanẓurūn illā sunnat al-awwalīn. Fa-lan tajida li-sunnat Allāh tabdīl. Wa lan tajida li-sunnat Allāh taḥwīl.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah warns against arrogance in the earth and evil plotting, establishing the divine principle that evil schemes only rebound upon those who devise them. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this reflects Allah's unchanging Sunnah (law/pattern): the disbelievers witness the punishment of those before them who engaged in similar arrogance and wickedness, yet they refuse to heed the lesson. The ayah concludes by affirming that Allah's divine laws are immutable—they cannot be changed or averted—serving as a deterrent and reminder to believers of the certainty of divine justice.
Revelation Context
Surah Fatir is a Meccan surah addressing the polytheists' rejection of tawhid and their arrogance. This ayah appears in a passage discussing how the disbelievers persist in their evil despite witnessing the consequences that befell previous nations, emphasizing the consistent pattern of divine punishment for those who reject Allah's signs and embrace arrogance.
Related Hadiths
The principle is echoed in the hadith: 'Whoever is arrogant, Allah will humble him' (Sahih Muslim 2620). Additionally, the concept of makr (plotting) returning upon its perpetrators is illustrated in Surah Al-Anfal 8:30, which describes how the disbelievers' plots against the Prophet (ﷺ) ultimately failed.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should recognize that evil schemes ultimately harm only those who devise them, and that Allah's laws governing human affairs are absolute and unchanging. This should inspire humble submission to Allah's will and serve as a warning against arrogance and deception, knowing that injustice never escapes divine accountability.