Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Isra Verse 83

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When We bestow Our favor upon man, he avoids (to recognize it) and keeps himself far aside (from obedience), and when some evil touches him, he is in total despair.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

When We grant people Our favours, they turn away, acting arrogantly. But when touched with evil, they lose all hope.

Ruwwad Translation Center

When We bestow favor upon man, he turns away and distances himself, but when evil befalls him, he is in utter despair.

A. J. Arberry

And when We bless man, he turns away, and withdraws aside; but when evil visits him, he is in despair.

Abdul Haleem

When We favour man he turns arrogantly to one side, but when harm touches him, he falls into despair.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And when We show favour unto he turneth away and withdraweth on his side; and when evil toucheth him he is ever despairing.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Yet when We bestow Our favours on man, he turns away and becomes remote on his side (instead of coming to Us), and when evil seizes him he gives himself up to despair!

Abul Ala Maududi

Whenever We bestow favours upon man, he arrogantly turns away and draws aside; and whenever evil visits him, he is in utter despair.

Ahmed Ali

When We are gracious to man he turns away and moves aside; yet when evil befalls him he begins to despair.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And when We bestow favours upon man, he turns away and goes far away towards himself; and when evil touches him he despairs.

Ali Quli Qarai

When We bless man, he is disregardful and turns aside; but when an ill befalls him, he is despondent.

Ali Ünal

When We favor human (an ungrateful one) with comfort and contentment, he draws aside and arrogantly keeps aloof (from any thought of Us), but when evil touches him, he is ever despairing.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And when We bestow favours on a human being, he turns away and withdraws himself aside, but when evil overtakes him he is given to despair.

English Literal

And if We blessed on the human, he objected/turned away and he went far with his side/direction, and if the bad/evil/harm touched him, (he) was/is despairing/hopeless.

Faridul Haque

And when We bestow favours upon man, he turns away and goes far away towards himself; and when evil touches him he despairs.

Hamid S. Aziz

And when We favour man he turns away and is averse, but when evil touches him he is in despair.

Hilali & Khan

And when We bestow Our Grace on man (the disbeliever), he turns away and becomes arrogant, far away from the Right Path. And when evil touches him he is in great despair.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And We reveal of the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, and it adds only to the perdition of the wrongdoers.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when We bestow favor on man, he turns aside and behaves proudly, and when evil afflicts him, he is despairing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when We make life pleasant unto man, he turneth away and is averse; and when ill toucheth him he is in despair.

Muhammad Sarwar

When We do favors to the human being, he disregards it and turns away from it. When evil afflicts him, he becomes despairing.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Yet when We bestow favors upon mankind he turns his back and withdraws to one side. But when evil befalls him, he despairs.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And when We bestow Our grace on man, he turns away and becomes arrogant. And when evil touches him, he is in great despair.

Wahiduddin Khan

When We bestow a favour upon a person, he turns his back and draws aside; and when evil afflicts him he gives himself up to despair.

Talal Itani

When We bless the human being, he turns away and distances himself. But when adversity touches him, he is in despair.

Tafsir jalalayn

And when We are gracious to man, the disbelieving [man], he is disregardful, of giving thanks, and turns aside, turning his face away in arrogance; but when an ill, such as poverty or hardship, befalls him, he is in despair, despondent of God's mercy.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Turning away from Allah at Times of Ease and despairing at Times of Calamity

Allah tells;

وَإِذَا أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى الاِنسَانِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَأَى بِجَانِبِهِ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ كَانَ يَوُوسًا




And when We bestow Our grace on man, he turns away and becomes arrogant. And when evil touches him, he is in great despair.

Allah tells us about the weakness that is inherent in man, except for those whom He protects at both times of ease and calamity. If Allah blesses a man with wealth, good health, ease, provision and help, and he gets what he wants, he turns away from the obedience and worship of Allah, and becomes arrogant.

Mujahid said,

"(It means) he goes away from Us."

I say, this is like the Ayah;

فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَأ إِلَى ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُ

But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him! (10;12)

and;

فَلَمَّا نَجَّـكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ

But when He brings you safe to land, you turn away. (Ayah 67)

When man is stricken with evil, which means disasters, accidents and calamities,

كَانَ يَوُوسًا


he is in great despair,

meaning that he thinks he will never have anything good again.

As Allah says,

وَلَيِنْ أَذَقْنَا الاِنْسَـنَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ لَيَيُوسٌ كَفُورٌ

وَلَيِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ نَعْمَأءَ بَعْدَ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ ذَهَبَ السَّيِّيَاتُ عَنِّي إِنَّهُ لَفَرِحٌ فَخُورٌ

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ أُوْلَـيِكَ لَهُمْ مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ

And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us, and remove it from him, verily, He is despairing, ungrateful. But if We let him taste good after evil has touched him, he is sure to say;"Ills have departed from me."

Surely, he is exultant, and boastful. Except those who show patience and do righteous good deeds;those, theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward. (11;9-11