Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 17

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Then I will come upon them from their front side and from their behind, and from their right and from their left. You will not find most of them grateful.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

I will approach them from their front, their back, their right, their left, and then You will find most of them ungrateful.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Then I will come against them from their front and from their back, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them grateful.”

A. J. Arberry

then I shall come on them from before them and from behind them, from their right hands and their left hands; Thou wilt not find most of them thankful.'

Abdul Haleem

I will come at them- from their front and their back, from their right and their left- and You will find that most of them are ungrateful.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Then surely I will come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and Thou shalt not find the most of them thankful.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left; Nor wilt thou find, in most of them, gratitude (for thy mercies)."

Abul Ala Maududi

Then I will come upon them from the front and from the rear, and from their right and from their left. And You will not find most of them thankful.'

Ahmed Ali

And I shall come upon them from the front and behind, right and left; and You will not find among them many who would give thanks."

Ahmed Raza Khan

“Then I will certainly approach them – from their front and from behind them and from their right and from their left; and You will find most of them not thankful.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Then I will come at them from their front and from their rear, and from their right and their left, and You will not find most of them to be grateful.’

Ali Ünal

"Then I will come upon them from before them and from behind them, and from their right and from their left. And You will not find most of them thankful."

Amatul Rahman Omar

`There will I come upon them from their front and from their backs and from their right and from their left so that You will not find most of them grateful (to You).´

English Literal

Then I will come to them from between their hands, and from behind them, and from/of/on their rights, and from/of/on their lefts, and You (will) not find most of them thankful/grateful.

Faridul Haque

"Then I will certainly approach them - from their front and from behind them and from their right and from their left; and You will find most of them not thankful."

Hamid S. Aziz

Then I will surely come to them, from before them and from behind them; and most of them you shall not find thankful."

Hilali & Khan

Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You)."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

He said: As Thou hast adjudged me to be erring, I will certainly lie in wait for them in Thy straight path,

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Then I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from their right-hand side and from their left-hand side; and Thou shalt not find most of them thankful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Then I shall come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right hands and from their left hands, and Thou wilt not find most of them beholden (unto Thee).

Muhammad Sarwar

I shall attack them from all directions and You will not find many of them giving You thanks".

Qaribullah & Darwish

and come upon them from the front and from the rear, from their right and from their left. Then, You shall find most of them ungrateful'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them to be thankful."

Wahiduddin Khan

then I will surely come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and then You will find most of them ungrateful."

Talal Itani

Then I will come at them from before them, and from behind them, and from their right, and from their left; and you will not find most of them appreciative.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Then I shall come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, that is to say, from every side, and prevent them from following it [that path]. Ibn `Abbs said, `However, he cannot come upon them from above, lest he come between the servant and the mercy of God, exalted be He'. And You will not find most of them thankful', believing.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

"Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them to be thankful."

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas commented on;
ثُمَّ لاتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ
(Then I will come to them from before them),

Raising doubts in them concerning their Hereafter,

وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ
(and (from) behind them),

making them more eager for this life,

وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ
(from their right),

causing them confusion in the religion,

وَعَن شَمَأيِلِهِمْ
(and from their left),

luring them to commit sins."

This is meant to cover all paths of good and evil. Shaytan discourages the people from the path of good and lures them to the path of evil.

Al-Hakam bin Abban said that Ikrimah narrated from Ibn Abbas concerning the Ayah,

ثُمَّ لاتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَأيِلِهِمْ

Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left,

"He did not say that he will come from above them, because the mercy descends from above."

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,

وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ


and You will not find most of them to be thankful.

"means, those who single Him out (in worship)."

When Shaytan said this, it was a guess and an assumption on his part. Yet, the truth turned out to be the same, for Allah said,

وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُ فَاتَّبَعُوهُ إِلاَّ فَرِيقاً مِّنَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ

وَمَا كَانَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّن سُلْطَـنٍ إِلاَّ لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يُوْمِنُ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ مِمَّنْ هُوَ مِنْهَا فِى شَكٍّ وَرَبُّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَفُيظٌ

And indeed Iblis (Shaytan) did prove true his thought about them, and they followed him, all except a group of true believers. And he had no authority over them, except that We might test him who believes in the Hereafter, from him who is in doubt about it. And your Lord is Watchful over everything. (34;20-21)

This is why there is a Hadith that encourages seeking refuge with Allah from the lures of Shaytan from all directions.

Imam Ahmad narrated that Abdullah bin Umar said,

"The Messenger of Allah used to often recite this supplication in the morning and when the night falls,

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَافِيَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاْخِرَةِ


اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي دِينِي وَدُنْيَايَ وَأَهْلِي وَمَالِي


اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِي وَامِنْ رَوْعَاتِي


اللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيَّ وَمِنْ خَلْفِي وَعَنْ يَمِينِي وَعَنْ شِمَالِي وَمِنْ فَوْقِي وَأَعُوذُ بِعَظَمتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتَالَ مِنْ تَحْتِي

O Allah! I ask You for well-being in this life and the Hereafter.

O Allah! I ask You for pardon and well-being in my religion, life, family and wealth.

O Allah! Cover my errors and reassure me in times of difficulty.

O Allah! Protect me from before me, from behind me, from my right, from my left and from above me. I seek refuge with Your greatness from being killed from below me."

Waki` commented (about being killed from below),

"This refers to earthquakes."

Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim collected this Hadith, and Al-Hakim said, "Its chain is Sahih.