Quran Universe
35:8

أَفَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُۥ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ فَرَءَاهُ حَسَنٗاۖ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۖ فَلَا تَذۡهَبۡ نَفۡسُكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَسَرَٰتٍۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا يَصۡنَعُونَ

Afaman zuyyina lahu sooo AAamalihi faraahu hasanan fainna Allaha yudillu man yashao wayahdee man yashao fala tathhab nafsuka AAalayhim hasaratin inna Allaha AAaleemun bima yasnaAAoona

Then is one to whom the evil of his deed has been made attractive so he considers it good [like one rightly guided]? For indeed, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. So do not let yourself perish over them in regret. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of what they do.

Word by word
  1. أَفَمَنThen is (he) who
  2. زُيِّنَis made fair-seeming
  3. لَهُۥto him
  4. سُوٓءُ(the) evil
  5. عَمَلِهِۦ(of) his deed
  6. فَرَءَاهُso that he sees it
  7. حَسَنٗاۖ(as) good
  8. فَإِنَّFor indeed
  9. ٱللَّهَAllah
  10. يُضِلُّlets go astray
  11. مَنwhom
  12. يَشَآءُHe wills
  13. وَيَهۡدِيand guides
  14. مَنwhom
  15. يَشَآءُۖHe wills
  16. فَلَاSo (let) not
  17. تَذۡهَبۡgo out
  18. نَفۡسُكَyour soul
  19. عَلَيۡهِمۡfor them
  20. حَسَرَٰتٍۚ(in) regrets
  21. إِنَّIndeed
  22. ٱللَّهَAllah
  23. عَلِيمُۢ(is) All-Knower
  24. بِمَاof what
  25. يَصۡنَعُونَthey do
Fatir · 35:8Makkah

When the wrong thing starts to look good.

And do not let grief over others destroy you

What happens inside
an evil deed
made to look
goodhe sees it as right
the Prophet ﷺgrieving over them
Whose job is guidance
I must change themor it is my failure
Allah guidesHe knows what they do

Some in Makkah did wrong and believed they were doing right. The Prophet ﷺ was deeply saddened by it. Allah told him not to destroy himself in sorrow for them, for Allah guides whom He wills with full knowledge and wisdom.

Two things to check. First, the habit you defend with good reasons: has it been dressed up for you? Second, the brother you have argued with for years. Your job is to care and speak, not to carry his heart.

If someone I love does not change, I have failed them.

I can call and care, but guidance is in Allah's hands, not mine.

Try this

Make one sincere dua for someone you worry about, then put the worry down for today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 35:7)

Those who disbelieve, theirs will be a severe torment; and those who believe and do righteous good deeds, theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward (7)Is he, then, to whom the evil of his deeds is made fairseeming, so that he considers it as good? Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. So destroy not yourself in sorrow for them. Truly, Allah is the All-Knower of what they do (8)

The Punishment of the Disbeliever and the Reward of the Believer on the Day of Resurrection

Having stated that the ultimate destiny of the followers of Iblis will be the blazing Fire, Allah then tells us that for those who disbelieve there will be a severe punishment. This is because they obeyed the Shaytan and disobeyed Ar-Rahman. And He tells us that those who believed in Allah and His Messengers

 وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ 

(and do righteous good deeds, theirs will be forgiveness) meaning, from whatever sins they did,

وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ

(and a great reward.) for the good deeds that they did. Then Allah says:

أَفَمَنْ زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ فَرَآهُ حَسَنًا ۖ 

(Is he, then, to whom the evil of his deeds is made fairseeming, so that he considers it as good?) meaning, 'such as disbelievers or immoral persons who do evil deeds and believe that they are doing something good, i.e., a person who is like that has been misguided by Allah, so what can you do for him You cannot help him at all.'

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۖ 

(Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.) means according to His decree.

فَلَا تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَاتٍ 

(So destroy not yourself in sorrow for them.) means, do not grieve about that, for Allah is Wise in His decree and He leaves astray whomsoever He leaves astray, and He guides whomsoever He guides, and in doing so He has perfect knowledge and wisdom. Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ

(Truly, Allah is the All-Knower of what they do!)