Tafsir of Al-Hadeed 57:23

{So that you do not grieve}—that is, We have informed you of this so that you may not grieve {over what has escaped you}—of the worldly bounties—{nor exult over what He has given you}—that is, what Allah Almighty has granted you of it. For whoever knows that everything destined will inevitably escape when its escape is destined, and will come when its arrival is destined, his grief over what has escaped will not overwhelm him, nor will his joy over what has come [exceed bounds].

Knowing that everything is destined—even though what was mentioned previously was specifically calamities—applies to bounties and other things as well, for no one differentiates [between them], and there is no deficiency in the noble arrangement as some have imagined. Indeed, if "calamity" is understood as events encompassing both good and evil, the matter of this knowledge becomes clearer, as is not hidden. There is an equilibrium between the two verbs in the two relative clauses, as they were not attributed to a single entity; rather, the first was attributed to the pronoun of the relative noun, while the second was attributed to the pronoun of Allah Almighty. This is because escape and non-existence are intrinsic; if left to themselves, they would not endure, unlike the acquisition and permanence of things, which must be attributed to Him, the Almighty and Exalted, as has been established in its proper place. To this effect is the saying of the poet: Do not follow the past with your question: "Why did it pass?" And turn to what remains and ask it: "Why does it stay?"

Similar to this reading is the reading of Abdullah [ibn Mas'ud]: utitum (passive voice), meaning "you have been given." Abu 'Amr read: atakum, from al-ityan (to come), meaning "it has come to you." Upon this reading, there is an equilibrium between the two verbs. The intent is to negate the grief that leads one to abandon patience and submission to the command of Allah Almighty and the hope for the reward of the patient, and to negate the exultation that leads to insolence and distracts from gratitude. As for the grief that a human can hardly avoid while remaining submissive, and the joy in the bounty of Allah Almighty while acknowledging it and being grateful, there is no harm in them.

A group, including al-Hakim—who authenticated it—narrated from Ibn 'Abbas regarding the verse: "There is no one who does not grieve and rejoice, but the one who is struck by a calamity makes it an occasion for patience, and the one who is struck by a bounty makes it an occasion for gratitude." And the saying of the Almighty: {And Allah does not love any self-deluded boaster}.

This is an appended clause indicating that the blameworthy exultation is that which leads to insolence and self-delusion. The mukhtal (self-deluded/arrogant) is the one who is arrogant due to imagining a virtue he perceives in himself, and the fakhur (boaster) is the one who shows off regarding external things, such as wealth and status.

Some have stated that ikhtiyal (arrogance) is in the person’s character and actions, while fakhr (boasting) is in that and in other matters. The meaning of "does not love" is "hates," for there is no middle ground between love and hatred in relation to Him, the Almighty and Exalted, regarding reward and punishment. The school of the Salaf (pious predecessors) is to leave interpretation aside while maintaining transcendence. "He does not love any self-deluded boaster" means He does not love any single individual of that type, not that He does not love some but not others. This refutes Sheikh 'Abd al-Qahir in his statement: "If we reflect, we find that placing 'every' within the scope of negation is not appropriate unless it is intended that some were [of that type] and some were not, [implying] that this ruling is partial, not universal."