Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Insan Verse 3

Mufti Taqi Usmani

We have shown him the way to be either grateful or ungrateful.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

We already showed them the Way, whether they ˹choose to˺ be grateful or ungrateful.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Indeed, We showed him the way, whether he is grateful or ungrateful.

A. J. Arberry

Surely We guided him upon the way whether he be thankful or unthankful.

Abdul Haleem

We guided him to the right path, whether he was grateful or not.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Verily We! We shewed him the way; then he becometh either thankful or ingrate.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We showed him the Way; whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).

Abul Ala Maududi

Surely We showed him the Right Path, regardless of whether he chooses to be thankful or unthankful (to his Lord).

Ahmed Ali

We surely showed him the way that he may either be grateful or deny.

Ahmed Raza Khan

We have indeed shown him the way – whether he is grateful or ingrate.

Ali Quli Qarai

Indeed We have guided him to the way, be he grateful or ungrateful.

Ali Ünal

And We have shown him the right way, whether he be grateful (and follow this way) or ungrateful (and follow the way opposed to the right one).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Verily, We have shown him the path clearly (giving him the full choice) whether he be grateful or ungrateful.

English Literal

That We, We guided him the way/path , either (he is) thankful/grateful and either (an insistent) disbeliever.

Faridul Haque

We have indeed shown him the way - whether he is grateful or ingrate.

Hamid S. Aziz

Surely We have shown him the way: he may be thankful or unthankful.

Hilali & Khan

Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

We have truly shown him the way; he may be thankful or unthankful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Surely We have shown him the way: he may be thankful or unthankful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Lo! We have shown him the way, whether he be grateful or disbelieving.

Muhammad Sarwar

We showed him the right path whether he would be grateful or ungrateful.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Indeed, We have guided him to the path, he is either grateful or ungrateful.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Verily, We guided him to the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.

Wahiduddin Khan

We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.

Talal Itani

We guided him to the way, be he appreciative or unappreciative.

Tafsir jalalayn

Verily We have guided him to the way, We have pointed out to him the path of guidance by sending messengers [to mankind], whether he be grateful, that is to say, [whether he be] a believer, or ungrateful (both [shkiran and kafran] are circumstantial qualifiers referring to the direct object; in other words, We have pointed out to him in both presupposed states, whether his gratefulness or his unthankfulness; imm is used to list the `states').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ

Verily, We guided to him the way,

meaning, `We explained it to him, made it clear to him and showed it to him.'

This is as Allah says,

وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى


And as for Thamud, We guided them but they preferred blindness to guidance. (41;17)

Allah also said,

وَهَدَيْنَـهُ النَّجْدَينِ

And We guided him to the two ways. (90;10)

meaning, `We explained to him the path of good and the path of evil.'

This is the statement of `Ikrimah, `Atiyah, Ibn Zayd and Mujahid from what is well-known from him and the majority.

Allah then says,

إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا




Whether he be grateful or ungrateful.

This is his decree. Thus, with this he is either wretched or happy.

This is like what has been recorded by Muslim in a Hadith from Abu Malik Al-Ash`ari. He said that the Messenger of Allah said,

كُلُّ النَّاسِ يَغْدُو فَبَايِعٌ نَفْسَهُ فَمُوبِقُهَا أَوْ مُعْتِقُهَا

All of mankind wakes up in the morning the merchant of his own soul. So he either imprisons it or sets it free.