وَكَذَٰلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لِّيَقُولُوٓا۟ أَهَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنۢ بَيْنِنَآ ۗ أَلَيْسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ 53
Translations
And thus We have tried some of them through others that they [i.e., the disbelievers] might say, "Is it these whom Allāh has favored among us?" Is not Allāh most knowing of those who are grateful?
Transliteration
Wa-kadhalika fatannā ba'dahum bi-ba'din li-yaqūlū a-hā'ulā'i man-nallāhu 'alayhim min baynināā a-laysa allāhu bi-a'lama bi-ash-shākirīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah tests some people through others (the rich through the poor, the learned through the illiterate) so that the privileged question whether Allah's favor upon the less fortuned indicates divine approval. This ayah teaches that Allah's provision or knowledge are not necessarily signs of superiority or divine pleasure. The ayah concludes by asserting that Allah alone knows the truly grateful, implying that true gratitude cannot be judged by outward circumstances. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this addresses the Meccan disbelievers' arrogance in assuming their wealth and status indicated Allah's favor, while they rejected the poor believers like Bilal, Suhayyib, and Khabbab.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-An'am (revealed in Mecca) and responds to the Meccan polytheists' rejection of the poor Companions who embraced Islam. The Quraysh used socioeconomic status as a pretext to reject the Message, claiming that if Islam were true, it would be followed by the wealthy and influential rather than slaves and the poor. This ayah refutes their false reasoning by explaining that Allah intentionally permits such trials to test human character and reveal true gratitude.
Related Hadiths
The hadith of Abū Hurayrah (Sahih Muslim) wherein the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Look at those below you and do not look at those above you, for it is more suitable that you do not belittle the favor of Allah upon you.' This reinforces the lesson that worldly status does not indicate divine favor. Additionally, the hadith of 'Ā'ishah regarding the poverty of the early believers demonstrates the context of this ayah's revelation.
Themes
Key Lesson
Worldly circumstances—wealth, poverty, status, or hardship—are divine tests of character and gratitude, not indicators of Allah's pleasure or displeasure. True honor lies not in what one possesses, but in sincere gratitude and obedience to Allah, which only He fully comprehends.