14:28

۞أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ بَدَّلُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ كُفۡرٗا وَأَحَلُّواْ قَوۡمَهُمۡ دَارَ ٱلۡبَوَارِ

Alam tara ila allatheena baddaloo niAAmata Allahi kufran waahalloo qawmahum dara albawari

Have you not considered those who exchanged the favor of Allah for disbelief and settled their people [in] the home of ruin?

Word by word
  1. ۞أَلَمۡHave not
  2. تَرَyou seen
  3. إِلَى[to]
  4. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  5. بَدَّلُواْ(have) changed
  6. نِعۡمَتَ(the) Favor
  7. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  8. كُفۡرٗا(for) disbelief
  9. وَأَحَلُّواْand they led
  10. قَوۡمَهُمۡtheir people
  11. دَارَ(to the) house
  12. ٱلۡبَوَارِ(of) destruction
Ibrahim · 14:28Makkah

They traded Allah's blessing for ingratitude.

Swapping a gift for its opposite


The exchange
Allah's blessingfaith came to them
swapped for
disbelief
led their people to
ruinthe home of destruction
What the blessing was
wealth and status
the Prophet ﷺa mercy to all mankind

Ibn Abbas said this refers to the people of Makkah. Ali said the blessing was faith, which came to the leaders of Quraysh, and they exchanged it for disbelief and led their people to ruin. Ibn Kathir adds the Prophet ﷺ was sent as a blessing to all mankind.

You were raised hearing the Quran at home, and now it sits unopened. The masjid is a five-minute walk and you have not been in months. Faith within reach is a blessing. Leaders of a home lead others too.

Being born near faith is just background.

Faith within reach is a blessing I can either keep or trade away.

Try this

Use one blessing of faith near you today: the nearby masjid, the Quran on your shelf.

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

Have you not seen those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief (by denying Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Message of Islam), and caused their people to dwell in the house of destruction (28)Hell, in which they will burn, - and what an evil place to settle in (29)And they set up rivals to Allah, to mislead (men) from His path! Say: "Enjoy (your brief life)! But certainly, your destination is the (Hell) Fire! (30)

The Recompense of Those Who have changed the Blessings of Allah into Disbelief

Al-Bukhari said, "Allah's statement,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا

(Have you not seen those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief…), means, do you have knowledge in. Allah said in other Ayat,

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ

(Saw you not how.) and,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا

(Did you not think of those who went forth.)

قَوْمًا بُورًا

(A lost people)[25:18] Ali bin 'Abdullah narrated that Sufyan said that 'Amr said that 'Ata said that he heard Ibn 'Abbas saying that,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا

"(Have you not seen those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief), is in reference to the people of Makkah."

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu At-Tufayl said that Ibn Al-Kawwa' asked 'Ali about Allah's statement,

الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ

(those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief, and caused their people to dwell in the house of destruction) and 'Ali said that it refers to the disbelievers of Quraysh on the day of Badr.

He also said that the blessing of Allah was faith that came to the polytheists of Quraysh, and they changed this blessing into disbelief and led their people to utter destruction. This includes all disbelievers, for Allah sent Muhammad as a mercy and a blessing to all mankind. Those who accepted this blessing and were thankful for it, will enter Paradise, while those who denied it and disbelieved in it, will enter the Fire.

Allah said next,

وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ أَندَادًا لِّيُضِلُّوا عَن سَبِيلِهِ

(And they set up rivals to Allah, to mislead from His path!) meaning, they set up partners to Allah whom they worship besides Him and called the people to worship them. Allah threatened them and warned them by the words of His Prophet ﷺ,

قُلْ تَمَتَّعُوا فَإِنَّ مَصِيرَكُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ

(Say: "Enjoy (your brief life)! But certainly, your destination is the (Hell) Fire!") 'Whatever you are able to do in this life, then do it, for no matter what will happen,

فَإِنَّ مَصِيرَكُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ

(But certainly, your destination is the (Hell) Fire!) for to Us will be your destination and end.' Allah said in other Ayat,

نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ

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

مَتَاعٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ نُذِيقُهُمُ الْعَذَابَ الشَّدِيدَ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ

((A brief) enjoyment in this world! And then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve.)[10:70]