Tafsir of Al-Adiyat 100:6

"Verily, mankind is to his Lord ungrateful (Kanud)" — that is, he is a disbeliever, an ingrate who denies favors. It is said, "to kanda a blessing" is to deny it and not give thanks for it. They recite:

"Ungrateful for the favors of men; and whoever is ungrateful for the favors of men, he is distanced [from goodness]."

It is reported from Ibn Abbas and Muqatil that al-kanud, in the dialect of Kindah and Hadhramaut, is "the disobedient"; in the dialect of Rabi'ah and Mudar, it is "the disbeliever"; and in the dialect of Kinanah, it is "the miserly with bad character." From the same root comes "the kanud land," which produces nothing. Al-Kalbi stated something similar, except he said that in the dialect of Malik, it means "the miserly," and he did not mention Hadhramaut, limiting it only to Kindah.

Its interpretation as "the disbeliever" (al-kafūr) here is narrated from Ibn Abbas and al-Hasan. Ibn ‘Asakir recorded it from Abu Umamah, attributed to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. In another narration from al-Hasan, he said: "It is the one who blames his Lord, counting his afflictions and forgetting His favors." Al-Tabarani and others narrated with a weak chain from Abu Umamah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Do you know who the kanud is?" They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "It is the disbeliever who beats his slave, withholds his help, and eats alone." Al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad, al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, and others recorded this interpretation—that he is the one who withholds his help, eats alone, and beats his slave—as a statement (mawquf) of Abu Umamah. The majority hold the view that it means "the disbeliever." All of the mentioned qualities do not lack an element of disbelief, and extreme disbelief encompasses all types thereof.

The definite article (al) in "al-insan" (mankind) is generic, and the judgment applied to it refers to some of its individuals. It is also said that it refers to a specific disbeliever, based on what is narrated from Ibn Abbas: that it was revealed concerning Qart ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn Nawfal al-Qurashi. This is supported by the subsequent verse, "Does he not know..." because that only befits a disbeliever. There is room for debate regarding both views.

It is further said that it refers to all people, in the sense that the nature of man inclines him toward this, unless Allah protects him through His grace and success. 'Isam al-Din preferred this and stated that within this lies praise for the warriors, as they strive against their own nature.

"To his Lord" (li-rabbihi) is linked to kanud, and the preposition lam does not prevent this. It is placed before the predicate for the sake of the rhyming ending (fasilah), and because it is more important, given that the extreme condemnation is directed specifically toward ingratitude for His, the Almighty’s, blessings. It is also said that it is for specialization as a form of hyperbole.