Quran

Quran 2:216, perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you.

Surah Al-Baqarah, ayah 216: "Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for..." Read it in Arabic with transliteration and the Sahih International translation, with the ayah before and after it, and listen to it recited.

2:215Before

يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ ۖ قُلْ مَآ أَنفَقْتُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍۢ فَلِلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۗ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا۟ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌۭ ﴿٢١٥﴾

Yas'aloonaka maazaa yunfiqoona qul maaa anfaqtum min khairin falil waalidaini wal aqrabeena walyataamaa wal masaakeeni wabnis sabeel; wa maa taf'aloo min khairin fa innal laaha bihee 'Aleem

They ask you, [O Muhammad], what they should spend. Say, "Whatever you spend of good is [to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it."

2:216This ayah

كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًۭٔا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تُحِبُّوا۟ شَيْـًۭٔا وَهُوَ شَرٌّۭ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٢١٦﴾

Kutiba alaikumulqitaalu wa huwa kurhullakum wa 'asaaa an takrahoo shai'anw wa huwa khairullakum wa 'asaaa an tuhibbo shai'anw wa huwa sharrullakum; wallaahu ya'lamu wa antum laa ta'lamoon

Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.

2:217After

يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلشَّهْرِ ٱلْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍۢ فِيهِ ۖ قُلْ قِتَالٌۭ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌۭ ۖ وَصَدٌّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَكُفْرٌۢ بِهِۦ وَٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِۦ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱلْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ ٱلْقَتْلِ ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَن دِينِكُمْ إِنِ ٱسْتَطَٰعُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن يَرْتَدِدْ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌۭ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَٰلُهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ ﴿٢١٧﴾

Yas'aloonaka 'anish Shahril Haraami qitaalin feehi qul qitaahun feehi kabeerunw wa saddun 'an sabeelil laahi wa kufrum bihee wal Masjidil Haraami wa ikhraaju ahlihee minhu akbaru 'indal laah; walfitnatu akbaru minal qatl; wa laa yazaaloona yuqaatiloonakum hatta yaruddookum 'an deenikum inis tataa'oo; wa mai yartadid minkum 'an deenihee fayamut wahuwa kaafirun fa ulaaa'ika habitat a'maaluhum fid dunyaa wal aakhirati wa ulaaa'ika ashaabun Naari hum feehaa khaalidoon

They ask you about the sacred month - about fighting therein. Say, "Fighting therein is great [sin], but averting [people] from the way of Allah and disbelief in Him and [preventing access to] al-Masjid al-Haram and the expulsion of its people therefrom are greater [evil] in the sight of Allah. And fitnah is greater than killing." And they will continue to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they are able. And whoever of you reverts from his religion [to disbelief] and dies while he is a disbeliever - for those, their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein eternally.

Arabic: Tanzil, Uthmani script. English: Sahih International. Audio: EveryAyah. Transliteration is a learning aid; read from the Arabic when you can.

Meaning and lessons

What Quran 2:216 means, in brief.

This ayah was revealed in Madinah when fighting in defence of the believers was made obligatory. Allah acknowledges that people dislike it, and then states a rule for all of life: perhaps you dislike something and it is good for you, and perhaps you love something and it is bad for you. Allah knows, and you do not know.

Ibn Kathir explains that this is general in all matters. A person may dislike something that holds great good for him, and love something that holds harm. The believer judges by what Allah commands and trusts His knowledge of outcomes, rather than his own feelings in the moment.

Summarised in our own words from Tafsir Ibn Kathir, on Quran 2:216. Translation of the ayah: Sahih International.

Lessons from this ayah

  • Your feelings are not a reliable guide to what is good for you.
  • Trust Allah's knowledge when a decree is hard to accept.
  • Something you feared may turn out to be a door to good.

Where Quran 2:216 is in the mushaf

Ayah 216 of Surah Al-Baqarah (البَقَرَةِ), "The Cow", surah 2 of the Quran, a Medinan surah of 286 ayat revealed in Madinah. It is in juz 2 (para 2), hizb 4, on page 34 of the standard Madinah mushaf. People search for it as 2/216, 2 216 or Quran 2 216.

More verses on this theme: Quran verses about hardship and ease, Quran verses about trust in Allah (tawakkul).

Questions

Good to know.

What does Quran 2:216 say?

Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. (Sahih International)

What is Quran 2:216 about?

This ayah was revealed in Madinah when fighting in defence of the believers was made obligatory. Allah acknowledges that people dislike it, and then states a rule for all of life: perhaps you dislike something and it is good for you, and perhaps you love something and it is bad for you. Allah knows, and you do not know.

Which surah and juz is 2:216 in?

It is in Surah Al-Baqarah, surah 2 of the Quran, in juz 2 (para 2), on page 34 of the Madinah mushaf.

What comes before and after 2:216?

The ayah before, 2:215, says: "They ask you, [O Muhammad], what they should spend. Say, "Whatever you spend of good is [to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it."" The ayah after, 2:217, says: "They ask you about the sacred month - about fighting therein. Say, "Fighting therein is great [sin], but averting [people] from the way of Allah and disbelief in Him and [preventing access to] al-Masjid al-Haram and the expulsion of its people therefrom are greater [evil] in the sight of Allah. And fitnah is greater than killing." And they will continue to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they are able. And whoever of you reverts from his religion [to disbelief] and dies while he is a disbeliever - for those, their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein eternally."