Quran Universe
8:53

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمۡ يَكُ مُغَيِّرٗا نِّعۡمَةً أَنۡعَمَهَا عَلَىٰ قَوۡمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٞ

Thalika bianna Allaha lam yaku mughayyiran niAAmatan anAAamaha AAala qawmin hatta yughayyiroo ma bianfusihim waanna Allaha sameeAAun AAaleemun

That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

Word by word
  1. ذَٰلِكَThat
  2. بِأَنَّ(is) because
  3. ٱللَّهَAllah
  4. لَمۡnot
  5. يَكُis
  6. مُغَيِّرٗاOne Who changes
  7. نِّعۡمَةًa favor
  8. أَنۡعَمَهَاwhich He had bestowed
  9. عَلَىٰon
  10. قَوۡمٍa people
  11. حَتَّىٰuntil
  12. يُغَيِّرُواْthey change
  13. مَاwhat
  14. بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ(is) in themselves
  15. وَأَنَّAnd indeed
  16. ٱللَّهَAllah
  17. سَمِيعٌ(is) All-Hearing
  18. عَلِيمٞAll-Knowing
Al-Anfal · 8:53Madinah

Allah does not take a blessing until people change themselves.

Blessings stay with the grateful

How a blessing is lost
a blessinggiven by Allah
stays until
we changewhat is within us
then
it changes
Where change starts
out therecircumstances changed
inside mewhat I did with it

Ibn Kathir calls this a statement of Allah's justice: He does not change a favor He has given except because of evil people commit. He cites 13:11. Pharaoh's people lost their gardens, springs, treasures and fine homes because of what they did. They wronged themselves.

The marriage that was warm and became cold. The job you once thanked Allah for and now only complain about. The health you stopped caring for. Before blaming the blessing, look at what changed in you.

Good things just fade over time.

Blessings stay while I stay grateful. Change starts within me.

Try this

Pick one blessing you have taken for granted. Thank Allah for it and take care of it today.

Related13:11
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

That is so because Allah will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in themselves. And verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower (53)Similar to the behavior of the people of Fir'awn, and those before them. They belied the Ayat of their Lord, so We destroyed them for their sins, and We drowned the people of Fir'awn for they were all wrongdoers (54)

Allah affirms His perfect justice and fairness in His decisions, for He decided that He will not change a bounty that He has granted someone, except on account of an evil that they committed. Allah said in another Ayah,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ ۗ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُ ۚ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَالٍ

(Verily, Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves. But when Allah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back, and they will find besides Him no protector.)[13:11]

Allah said next,

كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ

(Similar to the behavior of the people of Fir'awn,) meaning, He punished Fir'awn and his kind, those who denied His Ayat. Allah destroyed them because of their sins, and took away the favors that He granted them, such as gardens, springs, plants, treasures and pleasant dwellings, as well as all of the delights that they enjoyed. Allah did not wrong them, but it is they who wronged themselves.