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Fatwa CenterMeaning of Denying the Favors of Allah
Question
Aslaam Alaikum shaikh,What exactly does it means to deny the favours of Allah?Like Allah gave example of a city in Surah Nahl Ayat 112.When does a person becomes like that?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
There are different types of denying the Favors of Allah, the most serious of which is disbelief in Allah, the Exalted, and belying His Messengers, and not believing.
Indeed, Allah revealed a verse about this in His Saying (which means): {And Allah presents an example: a city which was safe and secure, its provision coming to it in abundance from every location, but it denied the favors of Allah. So Allah made it taste the envelopment of hunger and fear for what they had been doing.} [Quran 16:112]
Ibn Katheer 
said in his Tafseer (interpretation of the Quran) regarding the above verse:
“{… but it denied the favors of Allah}, meaning, they denied the Blessings of Allah towards them, the greatest of which was Muhammad being sent to them, as Allah said: {Have you not seen those who have changed the favors of Allah into disbelief, and caused their people to dwell in the abode of destruction; Hell, in which they will burn – and what an evil place to settle in!} [Quran 14:28-29] [End of quote]
Besides, Ibn ‘Ashour said in his Tafseer:
“The meaning of denying the favors of Allah, meaning disbelief in the Blessings of the One Who bestowed on them those blessings [i.e. Allah], because they associated others with Him in worshiping Him, so they were not grateful to the true One Who bestowed on them those blessings, and this refers to Allah’s Saying (which means): {They recognize the favor of Allah; then they deny it. And most of them are disbelievers.} [Quran 16:83] [End of quote]
Nonetheless, some who believe in Allah and His Messengers may fall into one of the types of denying the favors (of Allah), and imitating the unbelievers, and this includes: attributing the blessings to other than Allah Almighty – while not denying that the Bestower of those blessings is Allah – or using those blessings in disobedience of Allah Almighty, and other types of denying the blessing that does not reach the degree of major disbelief.
Allah Knows best.
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