سُوْرَةُ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ
Surah Ibrahim (14) — Ayah 34
وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ ﴿34﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the Blessings of Allâh, never will you be able to count them. Verily, man is indeed an extreme wrong-doer, a disbeliever (an extreme ingrate who denies Allâh’s Blessings by disbelief, and by worshipping others besides Allâh, and by disobeying Allâh and His Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَءَاتَىٰكُم
waātākum
And He gave you
مِّن
min
of
كُلِّ
kulli
all
مَا
mā
what
سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ
sa-altumūhu
you asked of Him
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
تَعُدُّوا۟
taʿuddū
you count
نِعْمَتَ
niʿ'mata
(the) Favor of Allah
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(the) Favor of Allah
لَا
lā
not
تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ
tuḥ'ṣūhā
you will (be able to) count them
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ
l-insāna
the mankind
لَظَلُومٌۭ
laẓalūmun
(is) surely unjust
كَفَّارٌۭ
kaffārun
(and) ungrateful
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah34) ➊ {وَ اٰتٰىكُمْ مِّنْ كُلِّ مَا سَاَلْتُمُوْهُ :} That is, all this and much more was given to you without your asking. Moreover, from what you did ask for, He gave you as much as He willed. { ’’ مِنْ ‘‘ } is for partiality. One interpretation is that whatever you asked for, either by word or by state, that is, whatever your condition required for living in this world and whatever your need could have been, He gave you as much of it as He willed.
➋ {وَ اِنْ تَعُدُّوْا نِعْمَتَ اللّٰهِ لَا تُحْصُوْهَا :} That is, you will not be able to count (His blessings) even briefly, let alone count the unlimited blessings, so think, how can you ever be grateful enough to Him. (Shawkani) {’’ كَفَّارٌ ‘‘} Very ungrateful. {’’اَحْصٰي يُحْصِيْ اِحْصَاءً‘‘} (from the verb form If'al) To count, because {’’اَلْحَصٰي‘‘} means pebble, and the Arabs used to count with pebbles, and obviously, only limited counting can be done with pebbles.
➌ { اِنَّ الْاِنْسَانَ لَظَلُوْمٌ كَفَّارٌ:} There are so many favors of Allah upon man, and they continue at every moment, yet when a little hardship befalls him, he becomes ungrateful. {’’ لَظَلُوْمٌ ‘‘} refers to this, or in {’’ الْاِنْسَانَ ‘‘} the alif-lam is for the specific, and the meaning is the disbelieving human, that he gives Allah’s right to others, that is, by worshipping others besides Allah, he is committing a great injustice. It is said: «{ اِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيْمٌ }» [لقمان : ۱۳ ] “Indeed, shirk is surely a great injustice.” Because the meaning of injustice is {’’ وَضْعُ الشَّيْءِ فِيْ غَيْرِ مَحَلِّهِ‘‘} to put something in a place other than its own. So the disbelieving human, while using Allah’s blessings, neither worships Him nor obeys Him, rather he counts Allah’s favors as the favors of the creation; sometimes he calls someone the one who fills his lap, sometimes someone the giver, sometimes someone the helper, sometimes someone the remover of difficulties. {’’ الْاِنْسَانَ ‘‘} refers here to the disbelieving human, and the proof is also the beginning of this series of verses, where it is said: «{ اَلَمْ تَرَ اِلَى الَّذِيْنَ بَدَّلُوْا نِعْمَتَ اللّٰهِ كُفْرًا وَّ اَحَلُّوْا قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ (28) جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا وَ بِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ }» [ إبراہیم : ۲۸، ۲۹ ] “Have you not seen those who exchanged the favor of Allah for disbelief and led their people to the house of ruin, Hell, in which they will enter, and what an evil resting place it is.” This is his tremendous ingratitude. O disbelieving human! Alas for your disbelief and ingratitude. If only you had acknowledged the favor of your real Giver and Helper, and thanked only Him:
You have hopes from idols, and despair from God;
Tell me, what else is disbelief?
➋ {وَ اِنْ تَعُدُّوْا نِعْمَتَ اللّٰهِ لَا تُحْصُوْهَا :} That is, you will not be able to count (His blessings) even briefly, let alone count the unlimited blessings, so think, how can you ever be grateful enough to Him. (Shawkani) {’’ كَفَّارٌ ‘‘} Very ungrateful. {’’اَحْصٰي يُحْصِيْ اِحْصَاءً‘‘} (from the verb form If'al) To count, because {’’اَلْحَصٰي‘‘} means pebble, and the Arabs used to count with pebbles, and obviously, only limited counting can be done with pebbles.
➌ { اِنَّ الْاِنْسَانَ لَظَلُوْمٌ كَفَّارٌ:} There are so many favors of Allah upon man, and they continue at every moment, yet when a little hardship befalls him, he becomes ungrateful. {’’ لَظَلُوْمٌ ‘‘} refers to this, or in {’’ الْاِنْسَانَ ‘‘} the alif-lam is for the specific, and the meaning is the disbelieving human, that he gives Allah’s right to others, that is, by worshipping others besides Allah, he is committing a great injustice. It is said: «{ اِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيْمٌ }» [لقمان : ۱۳ ] “Indeed, shirk is surely a great injustice.” Because the meaning of injustice is {’’ وَضْعُ الشَّيْءِ فِيْ غَيْرِ مَحَلِّهِ‘‘} to put something in a place other than its own. So the disbelieving human, while using Allah’s blessings, neither worships Him nor obeys Him, rather he counts Allah’s favors as the favors of the creation; sometimes he calls someone the one who fills his lap, sometimes someone the giver, sometimes someone the helper, sometimes someone the remover of difficulties. {’’ الْاِنْسَانَ ‘‘} refers here to the disbelieving human, and the proof is also the beginning of this series of verses, where it is said: «{ اَلَمْ تَرَ اِلَى الَّذِيْنَ بَدَّلُوْا نِعْمَتَ اللّٰهِ كُفْرًا وَّ اَحَلُّوْا قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ (28) جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا وَ بِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ }» [ إبراہیم : ۲۸، ۲۹ ] “Have you not seen those who exchanged the favor of Allah for disbelief and led their people to the house of ruin, Hell, in which they will enter, and what an evil resting place it is.” This is his tremendous ingratitude. O disbelieving human! Alas for your disbelief and ingratitude. If only you had acknowledged the favor of your real Giver and Helper, and thanked only Him:
You have hopes from idols, and despair from God;
Tell me, what else is disbelief?
