Transliteration:( Zaalika bi annal laaha lam yakumu ghaiyiran ni'matan an'amahaa 'alaa qawmin hattaa yughaiyiroo maa bianfusihim wa annallaaha samee'un 'Aleem )
"This is so because Allah does not change the favour that He confers upon a people until they change themselves [124]. And surely Allah is Hearing [125], Knowing."
Allah had granted the disbelievers of Makkah peace, sustenance, and honour. He even sent them the Holy Prophet ﷺ, the greatest of all Divine bounties. However, they responded with ingratitude, indulging in polytheism, rebellion, and hostility toward the Prophet ﷺ. As a result, Allah withdrew His favours, including their security and provision. This reflects a Divine principle: gratitude leads to increase, while ingratitude brings punishment.
This verse echoes the meaning of Surah Ar-Ra'd (13:11): “Verily Allah alters not His blessings from any people until they themselves alter their condition.” It emphasizes that Allah does not revoke blessings arbitrarily—only when people abandon obedience and choose wrongdoing. As Hazrat Mawlana Rumi expressed: Allah’s gifts depend not on human merit, but on His Divine Majesty. The people of Makkah had been granted much without prior deeds—just as Sayyidah Maryam was gifted sainthood from birth and Hazrat Adam (AS) was granted honour and prophecy from the beginning. Yet when nations consciously turn away, Divine favour is lifted.
53. That is so because Allah will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in themselves. And verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower. 54. Similar to the behavior of the people of Fir`awn, and those before them. They belied the Ayat of their Lord, so We destroyed them for their sins, and We drowned the people of Fir`awn for they were all wrongdoers.
Allah affirms His perfect justice and fairness in His decisions, for He decided that He will not change a bounty that He has granted someone, except on account of an evil that they committed. Allah said in another Ayah,
(Verily, Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves. But when Allah wills a people’s punishment, there can be no turning it back, and they will find besides Him no protector.) ﴿13:11﴾
Allah said next,
(Similar to the behavior of the people of Fir`awn,) meaning, He punished Fir`awn and his kind, those who denied His Ayat. Allah destroyed them because of their sins, and took away the favors that He granted them, such as gardens, springs, plants, treasures and pleasant dwellings, as well as all of the delights that they enjoyed. Allah did not wrong them, but it is they who wronged themselves.
(8:53) This happened because Allah is not one to change the favour which He has bestowed upon a people until they have changed their attitude.[40], Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
40. Unless a nation renders itself totally unworthy of God’s favour, it is not deprived of it.
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