39:7

إِن تَكۡفُرُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنكُمۡۖ وَلَا يَرۡضَىٰ لِعِبَادِهِ ٱلۡكُفۡرَۖ وَإِن تَشۡكُرُواْ يَرۡضَهُ لَكُمۡۗ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ

In takfuroo fainna Allaha ghaniyyun AAankum wala yarda liAAibadihi alkufra wain tashkuroo yardahu lakum wala taziru waziratun wizra okhra thumma ila rabbikum marjiAAukum fayunabbiokum bima kuntum taAAmaloona innahu AAaleemun bithati alssudoori

If you disbelieve - indeed, Allah is Free from need of you. And He does not approve for His servants disbelief. And if you are grateful, He approves it for you; and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you about what you used to do. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.

Word by word
  1. إِنIf
  2. تَكۡفُرُواْyou disbelieve
  3. فَإِنَّthen indeed
  4. ٱللَّهَAllah
  5. غَنِيٌّ(is) free from need
  6. عَنكُمۡۖof you
  7. وَلَاAnd not
  8. يَرۡضَىٰHe likes
  9. لِعِبَادِهِin His slaves
  10. ٱلۡكُفۡرَۖungratefulness
  11. وَإِنAnd if
  12. تَشۡكُرُواْyou are grateful
  13. يَرۡضَهُHe likes it
  14. لَكُمۡۗin you
  15. وَلَاAnd not
  16. تَزِرُwill bear
  17. وَازِرَةٞbearer of burdens
  18. وِزۡرَ(the) burden
  19. أُخۡرَىٰۚ(of) another
  20. ثُمَّThen
  21. إِلَىٰto
  22. رَبِّكُمyour Lord
  23. مَّرۡجِعُكُمۡ(is) your return
  24. فَيُنَبِّئُكُمthen He will inform you
  25. بِمَاabout what
  26. كُنتُمۡyou used to
  27. تَعۡمَلُونَۚdo
  28. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,He
  29. عَلِيمُۢ(is) the All-Knower
  30. بِذَاتِof what (is) in the breasts
  31. ٱلصُّدُورِof what (is) in the breasts
Az-Zumar · 39:7Makkah

He needs nothing from you, yet loves your gratitude.

Thankfulness is for your own good


Two paths, one Lord
ingratitudeHe does not like it
gratitudeHe is pleased, gives more
then
your own loadno one carries it for you
Who gains
Allah needs my worshipI do Him a favor
He is free of needgratitude benefits me

Ibn Kathir cites the words of Musa: if all on earth disbelieve, Allah is still Rich. Gratitude pleases Him and He increases His favor. And each person answers only for their own deeds.

Payday. You check the balance, pay the bills, and move on. The verse does not ask for a speech, just a thankful heart. He likes it for you, not for Himself. And on the Day, your friends cannot carry your account.

My worship is something I give to Allah.

Allah needs nothing; my gratitude is a gift that comes back to me.

Try this

Write down three things you are thankful for tonight, and say alhamdulillah for each one.

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

If you disbelieve, then verily, Allah is not in need of you; He likes not disbelief for His servants. And if you are grateful, He is pleased therewith for you. No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that which is in breasts (7)And when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord, turning to Him in repentance. But when He bestows a favor upon him from Himself, he forgets that for which he cried for before, and he sets up rivals to Allah, in order to mislead others from His path. Say: "Take pleasure in your disbelief for a while, surely, you are (one) of the dwellers of the Fire! (8)

Allah hates Disbelief and is pleased with Gratitude

Allah tells us that He is Independent and has no need of anything in creation. This is like the Ayah in which Musa, peace be upon him, says:

إِنْ تَكْفُرُوا أَنْتُمْ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ 

("If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily, Allah is Rich, Owner of all praise.")(14:8). In Sahih Muslim, it says:

يَا عِبَادِي لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَفْجَرِ قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ، مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مُلْكِي شَيْئًا

("O My servants, if the first and the last of you, men and Jinn alike, were all to be as evil as the most evil man among you, that would not diminish from My sovereignty in the least.")

وَلَا يَرْضَىٰ لِعِبَادِهِ الْكُفْرَ ۖ 

(He likes not disbelief for His servants.) means, He does not like it and He does not enjoin it.

وَإِنْ تَشْكُرُوا يَرْضَهُ لَكُمْ ۗ 

(And if you are grateful, He is pleased therewith for you.) means: He likes this for you and He will increase His favor upon you.

وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۗ 

(No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.) means, no person can bear anything for another; each person will be asked about his own affairs.

ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

(Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that which is in breasts.) means, nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him.

It is an aspect of Man's Disbelief that He remembers Allah at times of difficulty then associates others with Him after He has been relieved of His distress

وَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنْسَانَ ضُرٌّ دَعَا رَبَّهُ مُنِيبًا إِلَيْهِ 

(And when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord, turning to Him in repentance.) means, at times of need, he prays to Allah and seeks His help alone, not associating anything with Him. This is like the Ayah:

وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فِي الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَنْ تَدْعُونَ إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ كَفُورًا

(And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon vanish from you except Him. But when He brings you safe to land, you turn away. And man is ever ungrateful.)(17:67). Allah says:

ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلَهُ نِعْمَةً مِنْهُ نَسِيَ مَا كَانَ يَدْعُو إِلَيْهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ

(But when He bestows a favor upon him from Himself, he forgets that for which he cried for before,) means, at the time of ease, he forgets that supplication and prayer. This is like the Ayah:

وَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنْسَانَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنْبِهِ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَائِمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَنْ لَمْ يَدْعُنَا إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّ مَسَّهُ ۚ 

(And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him!)(10:12).

وَجَعَلَ لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ

(and he sets up rivals to Allah, in order to mislead others from His path.) means, at times of ease, he associates others in worship with Allah and sets up rivals to Him.

قُلْ تَمَتَّعْ بِكُفْرِكَ قَلِيلًا ۖ إِنَّكَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ

(Say: "Take pleasure in your disbelief for a while, surely, you are (one) of the dwellers of the Fire!") means, say to those whose way this is, 'enjoy your disbelief for a while!' This is a stern threat and solemn warning, as in the Ayat:

قُلْ تَمَتَّعُوا فَإِنَّ مَصِيرَكُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ

(Say: "Enjoy! But certainly, your destination is the Fire!")(14:30).

نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ 

(We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.)(31:24)