۞ أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ ٱلْبَوَارِ 28
Translations
Have you not considered those who exchanged the favor of Allāh for disbelief and settled their people [in] the home of ruin?
Transliteration
Alam tara ila alladhina baddalu ni'mata allahi kufran wa ahallu qawmahum dara al-bawar
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who exchange Allah's blessings (ni'mah) for disbelief and ingratitude, thereby leading their people toward destruction and ruin. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as referring to leaders and influencers who reject divine guidance and drag their communities into spiritual and temporal perdition. The ayah emphasizes the grave responsibility of those in positions of influence and the severe consequences of ungrateful rejection of Allah's favors.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Ibrahim, a Meccan chapter addressing the Meccan polytheists who rejected the Prophet Muhammad's message despite receiving numerous blessings from Allah. The broader context discusses how nations have rejected their prophets throughout history, making this ayah part of the surah's theme of warning against ingratitude and the destruction that follows disbelief.
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). This relates thematically to the responsibility of leaders to guide their people correctly. Additionally, 'Whoever is grateful is grateful for the sake of his own soul' (Quran 31:12) emphasizes the importance of recognizing Allah's blessings.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that rejecting Allah's blessings through ingratitude and disbelief has destructive consequences not only for ourselves but for those under our influence. As individuals, we must cultivate gratitude for divine favors and use our positions of influence—however small—to guide others toward righteousness rather than leading them astray.