Quran Universe
15:56

قَالَ وَمَن يَقۡنَطُ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ إِلَّا ٱلضَّآلُّونَ

Qala waman yaqnatu min rahmati rabbihi illa alddalloona

He said, "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except for those astray?"

Word by word
  1. قَالَHe said
  2. وَمَنAnd who
  3. يَقۡنَطُdespairs
  4. مِنof
  5. رَّحۡمَةِ(the) Mercy
  6. رَبِّهِۦٓ(of) his Lord
  7. إِلَّاexcept
  8. ٱلضَّآلُّونَthose who are astray
Al-Hijr · 15:56Makkah

Only the lost give up on their Lord's mercy.

Ibrahim's answer about despair

His answer
Ibrahimwho would despair?
only
those astraywho lost the way
What despair is
just a feelingsadness
losing the wayforgetting who Allah is

Ibrahim answers the angels: who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except those who are astray? His question in the earlier verse was wonder, not hopelessness. He knew that giving up on Allah's mercy belongs to the lost.

Your friend says, I have prayed for years and nothing changed, I am done. You have felt it too. Ibrahim's line is short and clear: despair is a sign of being lost, not of having seen the truth.

After this long, giving up is the honest thing.

Giving up on Allah's mercy means losing my way, not seeing clearly.

Try this

Memorize Ibrahim's question in this verse and say it to yourself when hope runs low.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 15:51)

And tell them about the guests (i. e., the angels) of Ibrahim (51)When they entered upon him, and said: "Salaman (peace!)." He said: "Indeed we are frightened of you. (52)They said: "Do not be afraid! We bring you the good news of a boy possessing much knowledge and wisdom. (53)He said: "Do you give me this good news while old age has overtaken me? Of what then is your news about? (54)They said: "We give you good news in truth. So do not be of those who despair. (55)He said: "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except those who are astray? (56)

The Guests of Ibrahim and their Good News of a Son for Him

Allah is saying: 'Tell them, O Muhammad, about the story of

ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ

(the guests of Ibrahim.)'

دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ إِنَّا مِنكُمْ وَجِلُونَ

(they entered upon him, and said: "Salaman (peace!)." He said: "Indeed we are frightened of you.") meaning that they were scared. The reason for their fear has been mentioned previously, which is that they noticed that these guests did not eat of the food that was offered, which was a fattened calf.

قَالُوا لَا تَوْجَلْ

(They said: "Do not be afraid!...") meaning, do not be scared.

وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِيمٍ

(We bring you the good news of a boy possessing much knowledge and wisdom.) this refers to Ishaq, as was previously mentioned in Surat Hud. Then

قَالَ

(He said) meaning he spoke with wonder and astonishment, asking for confirmation, because he was old and his wife was old:

أَبَشَّرْتُمُونِي عَلَىٰ أَن مَّسَّنِيَ الْكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشِّرُونَ

(Do you give me this good news while old age has overtaken me? Of what then is your news about?) They responded by confirming the good news they had brought, good news after good news:

قَالُوا بَشَّرْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْقَانِطِينَ

(They said: "We give you good news in truth. So do not be of those who despair.")