Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 120

Mufti Taqi Usmani

If something good happens to you, it annoys them, and if something evil befalls you, they are delighted with it. If you keep patience and fear Allah, their cunning shall not harm you at all. Allah is All-Encompassing of what they do.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

When you ˹believers˺ are touched with good, they grieve; but when you are afflicted with evil, they rejoice. ˹Yet,˺ if you are patient and mindful ˹of Allah˺, their schemes will not harm you in the least. Surely Allah is Fully Aware of what they do.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If something good happens to you, it grieves them; but if adversity befalls you, they rejoice at it. But if you keep patient and fear Allah, their schemes will not harm you in the least; for Allah encompasses all what they do.

A. J. Arberry

If you are visited by good fortune, it vexes them; but if you are smitten by evil, they rejoice at it. Yet if you are patient and godfearing, their guile will hurt you nothing; God encompasses the things they do.

Abdul Haleem

They grieve at any good that befalls you [believers] and rejoice at your misfortunes. But if you are steadfast and conscious of God, their scheming will not harm you in the least: God encircles everything they do.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

If there happenoth unto you any good it grieveth them, and if there happenoth unto you an ill, they rejoice thereat. And if ye remain persevering and God-fearing their guile shall not harm you at all. Verily Allah is of that which they work Encompasser.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If aught that is good befalls you, it grieves them; but if some misfortune overtakes you, they rejoice at it. But if ye are constant and do right, not the least harm will their cunning do to you; for Allah Compasseth round about all that they do.

Abul Ala Maududi

If anything good happens to you they are grieved; if any misfortune befalls you they rejoice at it. But if you remain steadfast and mindful of Allah their designs will not cause you harm. Allah surely encompasses all that they do.

Ahmed Ali

If good comes your way, they are vexed; but if evil befalls you they are pleased and rejoice; yet if you are patient and guard yourselves against evil, their cunning will not harm you in the least, for whatsoever they do is well within the reach of God.

Ahmed Raza Khan

If some good reaches you, they feel unhappy; and if misfortune befalls you, they will rejoice; and if you remain steadfast and pious, their evil scheme will not harm you in the least; undoubtedly all what they do is encompassed by Allah.

Ali Quli Qarai

If some good should befall you, it upsets them, but if some ill befalls you, they rejoice at it. Yet if you are patient and Godwary, their guile will not harm you in any way. Indeed Allah encompasses what they do.

Ali Ünal

If anything good happens to you, this grieves them; if any misfortune befalls you, they rejoice at it. Yet if you endure and persevere in your way and act in piety keeping from evil and any injustice, their guile will never harm you. Surely God fully encompasses (with His Knowledge and Power) all that they do.

Amatul Rahman Omar

If anything good contacts you, it hurts them, but if an evil afflicts you, they rejoice thereat. However, if you patiently persevere and ward off evil, their machination will do you no harm at all. Verily, Allâh encompasses all their activities.

English Literal

If a good/goodness touches you, it harms them, and if a sin/crime strikes you, they become happy/rejoiced with it, and if you be patient and you fear and obey, their plotting/conspiring does not harm you a thing. That God (is) with what they make/do/work surrounding .

Faridul Haque

If some good reaches you, they feel unhappy; and if misfortune befalls you, they will rejoice; and if you remain steadfast and pious, their evil scheme will not harm you in the least; undoubtedly all what they do is encompassed by Allah.

Hamid S. Aziz

When you did set forth early from your household to settle for the believers the positions for battle, Allah was Hearer and Knower.

Hilali & Khan

If a good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it. But if you remain patient and become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V. 2:2), not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allah surrounds all that they do.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Lo! you are they who will love them while they love you not, and you believe in the Book, (in) the whole of it. And when they meet you they say, We believe, and when they are alone, they bite (their) finger tips in rage against you. Say: Die in your rage. Surely Allah is Knower of what is in the hearts.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

If good befalls you, it grieves them, and if an evil afflicts you, they rejoice at it; and if you are patient and guard yourselves, their scheme will not injure you in any way; surely Allah comprehends what they do.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

If a lucky chance befall you, it is evil unto them, and if disaster strike you they rejoice thereat. But if ye persevere and keep from evil their guile will never harm you. Lo! Allah is Surrounding what they do.

Muhammad Sarwar

They hate to see your success and rejoice if any misfortune befalls you. If you will be patient and pious, their plots can cause no harm to you. God has control over all their actions.

Qaribullah & Darwish

When you are touched with good fortune, they grieve, but when evil befalls you, they rejoice. If you are patient and cautious, their guile will never harm you. Allah encompasses what they do.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

If a good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it. But if you remain patient and have Taqwa, not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allah surrounds all that they do.

Wahiduddin Khan

Whenever something good happens to you, it grieves them; but when evil befalls you, they rejoice. If you persevere and fear God, their designs will never harm you in the least: God encompasses all that they do.

Talal Itani

If something good happens to you, it upsets them; but if something bad befalls you, they rejoice at it. But if you persevere and maintain righteousness, their schemes will not harm you at all. God comprehends what they do.

Tafsir jalalayn

If good fortune, a favour such as victory or booty, befalls you, it is evil for them, it grieves them; but if evil, such as defeat or drought, befalls you, they rejoice thereat (the conditional statement here is semantically connected to the previous conditional, and what comes in between is a parenthetical [statement], the meaning being that their enmity towards you is endless, so why do you befriend them? Avoid them!) Yet if you endure, their harm, and fear, God by [not] befriending them and so on, their guile will not hurt you (read either l yadirkum or l yadurrukum) at all; God encompasses what they do (ya`maln, or may be read ta`maln, `what you do'), He has knowledge of it and will requite them for it.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِن تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُوْهُمْ وَإِن تُصِبْكُمْ سَيِّيَةٌ يَفْرَحُواْ بِهَا

If a good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it.

This only emphasizes the severity of the enmity that the hypocrites feel against the believers. If the believers enjoy fertile years, victories, support and their numbers and following increase, the hypocrites become displeased. When the Muslims suffer a drought or their enemies gain the upper hand against them, by Allah's decree, just as occurred during the battle of Uhud, the hypocrites become pleased.

Allah said to His believing servants,

وَإِن تَصْبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْيًا

But if you remain patient and have Taqwa, not the least harm will their cunning do to you.

Allah directs the believers to safety from the wickedness of evil people and the plots of the sinners, by recommending them to revert to patience and by having fear of Allah and trusting Him.

إِنَّ اللّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ



Surely, Allah surrounds all that they do.

Allah encompasses the enemies of the believers, all the while the believers have no power or strength except from Him. Whatever Allah wills, occurs, and whatever He does not will, does not occur. Nothing happens in His Kingdom except with His decision and according to His decrees.

Verily, whoever relies on Allah, Allah shall suffice for him.

Allah then mentions the story of Uhud, the defeat that He tested the believers with, His distinguishing the believers from the hypocrites and their patience