Surah Al-Hadid 57:23
سُورَةُ الحَدِيدِ · Medinan · Verse 23 of 29
لِّكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا۟ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍۢ فَخُورٍ
Translation
so you need not grieve for what you miss or gloat over what you gain. God does not love the conceited, the boastful,
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse offers profound guidance on navigating the ups and downs of life, addressing believers with tender wisdom. Allah is speaking directly to us, explaining the purpose behind His earlier revelation that all events, whether personal or global, are pre-ordained and recorded in a divine book (as mentioned in the preceding verse 57:22). The immediate tone is one of consolation, guidance, and a gentle warning, inviting us to cultivate a balanced emotional state.
The Purpose of Knowing Destiny
The verse begins with the particle لِّكَيْلَا (likay lā), meaning "so that you do not." This word choice, as al-Razi points out, establishes a direct cause-and-effect: Allah revealed that everything is decreed precisely so that we might develop a specific spiritual posture. When we truly understand that what happens is part of a divine plan, it should temper our emotional responses. Knowing that both good and bad are predetermined helps us not to grieve intensely over what we've lost, nor to become overly ecstatic about what we've gained. Al-Zamakhshari beautifully explains that this knowledge allows us to "prepare ourselves" for inevitable changes, reducing our despair during loss and preventing excessive pride during gain.
Balancing Grief and Joy
The Quran's injunction, تَأْسَوْا عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَا آتَاكُمْ (grieve over what has escaped you and do not exult in what He has given you), doesn't mean we should feel nothing. Rather, as scholars like al-Zamakhshari and al-Razi clarify, it's about avoiding *excessive* emotions. We are cautioned against a grief so profound that it overwhelms our patience and submission to Allah, and a joy so immense that it leads to arrogance and forgetfulness of gratitude. The beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us to make patience our response to hardship and gratitude our response to blessings.
The Source of Blessings
There are two main ways the word آتَاكُمْ (ātākum) has been read. The majority reading, with a long 'aa' sound, signifies "what *He* has given you." Ibn Ashur notes that this reading subtly embeds a reminder of Allah's favor and generosity alongside the counsel. It prompts us to acknowledge that all good things come from Him. The alternative reading, with a short 'a' sound, "أتاكم" (atākum), means "what has come to you," creating a direct linguistic parallel with "فاتكم" (fātakum), "what has escaped you." Both readings carry beautiful wisdom, emphasizing either Allah's direct giving or simply the transient nature of what comes and goes.
The Unloved Qualities
The verse concludes with a powerful warning: وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ (And Allah does not love every conceited, boastful person). The words مُخْتَالٍ (mukhtāl, conceited) and فَخُورٍ (fakhoor, boastful) describe someone whose excessive worldly joy inflates their ego. They become arrogant because of what they possess and boast about it to others. Ibn Ashur clarifies that the use of كُلَّ (kull, every) here, in a negative context, means Allah dislikes *anyone* who embodies these traits, not just a collective group. This linguistic precision highlights how such conceit and boastfulness, born from unchecked joy in worldly gains, are deeply displeasing to Allah. It serves as a stark reminder that true gratitude and humility are the correct responses to any blessing.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn, Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Hadid 57:23 is discussed in 13 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Hadid 57:23 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.