Quran Universe
21:35

كُلُّ نَفۡسٖ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۗ وَنَبۡلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلۡخَيۡرِ فِتۡنَةٗۖ وَإِلَيۡنَا تُرۡجَعُونَ

Kullu nafsin thaiqatu almawti wanablookum bialshsharri waalkhayri fitnatan wailayna turjaAAoona

Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.

Word by word
  1. كُلُّEvery
  2. نَفۡسٖsoul
  3. ذَآئِقَةُ(will) taste
  4. ٱلۡمَوۡتِۗ[the] death
  5. وَنَبۡلُوكُمAnd We test you
  6. بِٱلشَّرِّwith [the] bad
  7. وَٱلۡخَيۡرِand [the] good
  8. فِتۡنَةٗۖ(as) a trial
  9. وَإِلَيۡنَاand to Us
  10. تُرۡجَعُونَyou will be returned
Al-Anbya · 21:35Makkah

Every soul tastes death; hard and easy times are both tests.

Good days test you as much as bad ones

The test
evilillness, poverty, hardship
goodhealth, wealth, ease
both
a trialthanks or ingratitude?
returnto Him
Which is the test
only bad times
good times toopatience and gratitude

The tafsir explains: Allah tests people sometimes with difficulties and sometimes with ease, to see who gives thanks and who is ungrateful, who has patience and who despairs. Ibn 'Abbas listed health and sickness, richness and poverty. Then all return to Him.

The promotion came through. The scan came back clear. The kids are healthy. You relax and forget to pray on time. The good stretch is also the exam. Thanks is how you pass it.

Tests are the hard times. Good times are a break.

Ease is as much a test as hardship. Each asks a different thing of me.

Try this

Name the best thing in your life right now and thank Allah for it in your next prayer.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 21:34)

And We granted not to any human being immortality before you; then if you die, would they live forever (34)Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall test you with evil and with good by way of trial. And to Us you will be returned (35)

No One has been granted Immortality in this World

وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ

(And We granted not to any human being immortality before you;) means, O Muhammad.

الْخُلْدَ

(immortality) means, in this world. On the contrary,

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ - وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ

(Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish. And the Face of your Lord full of majesty and honor will remain forever.)(55:26-27).

أَفَإِن مِّتَّ

(then if you die) means, O Muhammad,

فَهُمُ الْخَالِدُونَ

(would they live forever?) means, they hope that they will live forever after you, but that will not happen; everything will pass away. So Allah says:

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ

(Everyone is going to taste death,)

وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً

(and We shall test you with evil and with good by way of trial.) Meaning, "We shall test you, sometimes with difficulties and sometimes with ease, to see who will give thanks and who will be ungrateful, who will have patience and who will despair." 'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn 'Abbas:

وَنَبْلُوكُم

(and We shall test you) means, We will test you,

بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً

(with evil and with good by way of trial.) means, with difficulties and with times of prosperity, with health and sickness, with richness and poverty, with lawful and unlawful, obedience and sin, with guidance and misguidance.

وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ

(And to Us you will be returned.) means, and We will requite you according to your deeds.