Quran Universe
22:38

۞إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُدَٰفِعُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ خَوَّانٖ كَفُورٍ

Inna Allaha yudafiAAu AAani allatheena amanoo inna Allaha la yuhibbu kulla khawwanin kafoorin

Indeed, Allah defends those who have believed. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone treacherous and ungrateful.

Word by word
  1. ۞إِنَّIndeed
  2. ٱللَّهَAllah
  3. يُدَٰفِعُdefends
  4. عَنِdefends
  5. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  6. ءَامَنُوٓاْۗbelieve
  7. إِنَّIndeed
  8. ٱللَّهَAllah
  9. لَا(does) not
  10. يُحِبُّlike
  11. كُلَّevery
  12. خَوَّانٖtreacherous
  13. كَفُورٍungrateful
Al-Hajj · 22:38Madinah

Allah defends those who believe.

Protection for the trusting, none for the treacherous

Who is defended
the believerstrusting, turning to Him
defended by
Allahfrom plots and evil
What He dislikes
treacherybreaking your word
ingratitudedenying the blessing

Ibn Kathir says Allah protects, guards and supports those who trust Him and turn to Him, against the plots of wrongdoers. He dislikes treachery in promises and ingratitude for blessings. The exiled believers in Madinah needed to hear this.

Someone at work is talking about you behind your back, and you lie awake planning your defense. The verse says you are not defending yourself alone. Your part is to stay honest and grateful.

If I do not fight every battle myself, I will be crushed.

Allah defends those who believe; I stay trustworthy and thankful.

Try this

Hand one worry about other people's plots to Allah in a short dua tonight.

Related39:3665:3
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Truly, Allah defends those who believe. Verily, Allah likes not any treacherous ingrate (38)

Good News of Allah's Defence for the Believers

Here Allah tells us that He defends His servants who put their trust in Him and turn to Him in repentance; He protects them from the the worst of evil people and the plots of the sinners; He protects them, guards them and supports them, as He tells us elsewhere:

أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ

(Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?)(39:36)

وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا

(And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things)(65:3).

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ خَوَّانٍ كَفُورٍ

(Verily, Allah likes not any treacherous ingrate) means, He does not like any of His servants who bear these characteristics, i.e., treachery in covenants and promises whereby a person does not do what he says, and ingratitude is to deny the blessings, whereby one does not acknowledge or appreciate them.