And among the people is he who worships God on edge. When something good comes his way, he is content with it. But when an ordeal strikes him, he makes a turnaround. He loses this world and the next. That is the obvious loss.
Is it wrong to worship mainly for what you'll get?
Key findingsEditorial
One finding for each passage this study carries, in the order the study reads them. Each is the reason that passage was signed into the study, in full and unedited - including, where the renderings disagree, the disagreement.
- 01 22:11 The renderings differ on the image: Itani has "worships God on edge", Pickthall has "worshippeth Allah upon a narrow marge", Palmer has "(wavering) on a brink", Rodwell has "in a single point", and Sale has "in a wavering manner". The verse sets out what that worship rests on: Itani has "When something good comes his way, he is content with it" and "when an ordeal strikes him, he makes a turnaround". It names the outcome: Pickthall has "He loseth both the world and the Hereafter".
In plain wordsEditorial written by the editors, not a translation
The five print one verse that describes worship held on a condition, and the question turns on it.
At 22:11 Itani has "among the people is he who worships God on edge", and Pickthall has "he who worshippeth Allah upon a narrow marge". The renderings differ on the image: Palmer has "(wavering) on a brink", Rodwell has "in a single point", and Sale has "in a wavering manner".
The verse says what that worship rests on. Itani has "When something good comes his way, he is content with it" and "when an ordeal strikes him, he makes a turnaround". Sale has "if any tribulation befall him, he turneth himself round". The worship it describes holds while good comes, and is dropped when a trial comes.
The verse names what that costs: Pickthall has "He loseth both the world and the Hereafter", and Itani has "That is the obvious loss". The loss follows the turning away.
The verse does not speak of hoping for a reward from God, and it does not say that wanting good from God makes worship wrong. What it describes is worship that lasts only while things go well.
How intention is weighed, and whether a deed done partly for gain counts, are questions for and jurisprudence, a layer this platform does not hold or show. This study does not quote or weigh any report on them.
Scope of this study
This platform shows the verse, its easy-read line, its translations, a plain-words reading, and each verse among its neighbours. It does not supply occasion of revelation, interpretation (tafsir) or history, and it never invents them.
What this rests on
Opens with 22:11.
Easy-read is a simplified pronunciation, not authoritative — a rule-by-rule romanisation, not a reading. Each verse ends in its pause form, as it is said when you stop there. Pauses inside a verse and other tajwid rules are not shown. It is derived from the Tanzil Simple edition, while the Arabic above is the Uthmani edition; both are cleared, but they are not the same edition and their orthography differs.
The versesSource fact 1 passages, each with every cleared translation
1 passages, chosen for this question and signed as part of it. Each carries the reason it is here, and each renders in full: the Arabic, then every cleared translation of that verse under its translator's name.
Each verse opens on the translation that comes first in the site's fixed order, which runs from the newest translation to the oldest. The order is not a preference. Open Compare translations on any verse to read the others.
22:11
Why this passage is in the study finding 01
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُۥ خَيْرٌ ٱطْمَأَنَّ بِهِۦ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ ٱنقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ خَسِرَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْخُسْرَانُ ٱلْمُبِينُ
Easy-read (simplified)wamina n-naasi man ya'budu llaaha 'alaa harfin fa'in asaabahu khayrun tma'anna bihi wa'in asaabathu fitnatun nqalaba 'alaa wajhihi khasira d-dunyaa wal-'aakhirata dhaalika huwa l-khusraanu l-mubeen
DIN 31635wamina n-nāsi man yaʿbudu llāha ʿalā ḥarfin faʾin ʾaṣābahu ḫayrun ṭmaʾanna bihi waʾin ʾaṣābathu fitnatun nqalaba ʿalā waǧhihi ḫasira d-dunyā wal-ʾāḫirata ḏālika huwa l-ḫusrānu l-mubīnu
EditionTanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) ·Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
The translators word this verse differently
Compare translations (4)
And among mankind is he who worshippeth Allah upon a narrow marge so that if good befalleth him he is content therewith, but if a trial befalleth him, he falleth away utterly. He loseth both the world and the Hereafter. That is the sheer loss
And amongst men is one who serves God (wavering) on a brink; and if there befall him good, he is comforted; but if there befall him a trial, he turns round again, and loses this world and the next - that is an obvious loss
There are some who serve God in a single point. If good come upon one of them, he resteth in it; but if trial come upon him, he turneth him round (to infidelity) with the loss both of this world and of the next! This same is the clear ruin
There are some men who serve God in a wavering manner, standing, as it were, on the verge of the true religion. If good befall one of them, he resteth satisfied therein; but if any tribulation befall him, he turneth himself round, with the loss both of this world, and of the life to come. This is manifest perdition
Sources
EditionTanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) ·Uthmani, Version 1.1·Tanzil Project ·Creative Commons Attribution 3.0·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Receipts Tanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) · Uthmani, Version 1.1
- Edition
- Uthmani, Version 1.1
- Custodian
- Tanzil Project
- Layer
- canonical text
- Licence
- Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
- Licence URL
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- Commercial use
- yes
- Modification
- contradictory
- Licence text
- read verbatim
- Review state
- cleared
- Retrieved
- 24 August 2026
- Digest
- 203f0f1bf3158b1e5be4ab9f8f6870e5…
- Located at
- https://tanzil.net/pub/download/index.php?quranType=uthmani&outType=xml
- Convention
- Hafs/Kufan verse numbering, 6236 ayahs. The bismillah is delivered as a separate `bismillah` attribute on ayah 1 and is NOT fused into the ayah text. 112 surahs carry one: every surah except al-Fatiha, where the bismillah is ayah 1:1 itself, and at-Tawba, which has none. Sourced from the XML output; the plain-text output of the same release DOES fuse it, which is defect D1.
CLEARED. Licence read verbatim from the block embedded in this very file. Ingested exactly as shipped: no normalisation, no stripping of marks, no Unicode recomposition.
Other languages (18)
Prej njerëzve ka edhe të atillë që e adhurojnë Allahun duke qenë në mëdyshje: nëse u ndodh diçka e mirë, janë të kënaqur; por, nëse i godet ndonjë sprovë, kthehen në mosbesim, duke humbur kështu këtë botë dhe botën tjetër. Pikërisht kjo është humbja e qartë.
মানুষের মধ্যে কেউ কেউ এমন রয়েছে, যারা দ্বিধা-সন্দেহের সাথে আল্লাহর ইবাদাত করে। যদি তার কোনো কল্যাণ হয়, তবে সে তাতে প্রশান্ত হয়। আর যদি তার কোনো বিপর্যয় ঘটে, তাহলে সে তার আসল চেহারায় ফিরে যায়।(৬) সে দুনিয়া ও আখিরাত উভয় জগতেই ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়। এটি হলো সুস্পষ্ট ক্ষতি।
Ima ljudi kao onaj koji Allaha obožava kolebljivo, na ivici: ako ga zadesi dobro, smiri se time, a ako ga zadesi iskušenje, on se potpuno okrene, pa tako izgubi i dunjaluk i ahiret. To je, uistinu, očiti gubitak.
Ima ljudi kao onaj koji Allaha obožava kolebljivo, na ivici: ako ga zadesi dobro, smiri se time, a ako ga zadesi iskušenje, on se potpuno okrene, pa tako izgubi i ovaj i onaj svijet. To je, uistinu, očiti gubitak.
No e yimɓe ɓen on mo no rewa Alla e dow selindaare; si moƴƴere heɓii mo o tabitira sabu ɗuum si jarrabuyee kadi heɓii mo o waylitoo e ye'eso makko, o hayrii aduna on e La'akara on ko ɗum tigi woni hayrere ɓanngunde nden.
ადამიანთა შორის არიან ისეთებიც, ვინც ეთაყვანება ალლაჰს, მაგრამ ცვალებადი არიან. თუკი სიკეთე ეწევათ, კმაყოფილნი არიან ამით, ხოლო თუ განსაცდელი ეწევათ, უკან იხევენ. წაგებულნი არიან ამ ქვეყნადაც და იმ ქვეყნადაც და, სწორედ ეს არის აშკარა წაგება.
Und unter den Menschen gibt es manch einen, der Allah nur zögerlich (am Rande) dient. Wenn ihn nun etwas Gutes trifft, ist er damit beruhigt, doch wenn ihn eine Heimsuchung trifft, macht er eine Kehrtwende. Er hat das Diesseits und das Jenseits verloren. Dies ist ja der deutliche Verlust.
Ανάμεσα στους ανθρώπους υπάρχει εκείνος που λατρεύει τον Αλλάχ με δισταγμό: αν του έρθει κάτι καλό, είναι καθησυχασμένος μ' αυτό (και συνεχίζει στην πίστη του). Αλλά αν τον πλήττουν κακουχίες, γυρίζει πίσω (εγκαταλείποντας και κατηγορώντας τη θρησκεία του). Έχασε την εγκόσμια ζωή (επειδή η απιστία του δε θα τον σώσει από τις κακουχίες, ούτε θα του φέρει κανένα όφελος), και (έχασε και) τη Μέλλουσα Ζωή. Αυτή είναι πράγματι η προφανής απώλεια.
तथा लोगों में वह (भी) है, जो अल्लाह की इबादत एक किनारे पर रहकर[5] करता है। फिर यदि उसे कोई भलाई पहुँच जाए, तो वह उससे संतुष्ट हो जाता है, और यदि उसे कोई परीक्षा आ पहुँचे, तो मुँह के बल फिर जाता है। वह दुनिया एवं आख़िरत में घाटे में पड़ गया। यही तो खुला घाटा है।
E tra gli uomini c’è chi adora Allāh con perplessità: se gli tocca una buona sorte, si tranquillizza; se lo colpisce una disgrazia, volge il viso. Ha perso, così, la vita e l’Aldilà: quella è la perdita evidente!
11. Ir tarp žmonių yra tas, kuris garbina Allahą taip, lyg tai būtų ant ribos (t. y. abejotų): jei gera nutinka jam, jis tuo patenkintas, tačiau jei jį ištinka išbandymas, jis nusigręžia (t. y. grįžta į netikėjimą po islamo priėmimo). Jis praranda abu – šį pasaulį ir Amžinybę. Tai yra akivaizdus praradimas.
Namoota irraa nama amantii irraa moggaatti ta’ee (shakkiin) Rabbi gabbarutu jira. Yoo toltuun isa tuqe, isatti ragga’a.Yoo rakkoon isa tuqxe ammoo, fuula isaa irratti garagala. Inni addunyaafi Aakhiraa hoonga’ee jira. Sun isatu hoongoo ifa bahaadha.
Среди людей есть и такие, кто поклоняется Аллаху [находясь] на грани: если его постигает благо, он успокаивается им; а если постигает его испытание, он обращается вспять — [так] он лишился и этого мира, и Последней жизни. Это и есть явная потеря.
Има људи који Аллаха обожавају, али без правог уверења. Ако га прати срећа, он је смирен, а ако западне и у најмање искушење, враћа се неверству – па тако изгуби и овај и Будући свет. То је, уистину, очити губитак.
Na katika watu wapo wanaomuabudu Mwenyezi Mungu kwa ukingoni. Ikimfikia heri, hutulia kwayo. Na ukimfikia msukosuko, hugeuza uso wake. Amehasiri dunia na Akhera. Hiyo ndiyo hasara iliyo wazi.
Och bland människorna finns den som dyrkar Gud på gränsen [till otro]; om gott når honom är han tillfreds, men om en prövning drabbar honom vänder han genast [tron] ryggen. Han går miste både om detta och det kommande livet. Det är den uppenbara förlusten.
İnsanlardan öylesi de vardır ki, Allah’a kıyıdan kenardan kulluk eder. Eğer kendisine bir hayır dokunursa, gönlü onunla hoş olur. Şâyet başına bir kötülük gelirse, gerisin geri (küfre) dönüverir. O dünyayı da kaybetmiştir, ahireti de. İşte bu apaçık ziyanın ta kendisidir.
بعض لوگ ایسے بھی ہیں کہ ایک کنارے پر (کھڑے) ہو کر اللہ کی عبادت کرتے ہیں۔ اگر کوئی نفع مل گیا تو دلچسپی لینے لگتے ہیں اور اگر کوئی آفت آگئی تو اسی وقت منھ پھیر لیتے ہیں[1] ، انہوں نے دونوں جہان کانقصان اٹھا لیا۔ واقعی یہ کھلا نقصان ہے.
Show context
The verses around this oneSource fact
shown so it's never read alone
ثَانِىَ عِطْفِهِۦ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُۥ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌ وَنُذِيقُهُۥ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ عَذَابَ ٱلْحَرِيقِ
Easy-read (simplified)thaaniya 'itfihi liyudilla 'an sabeeli llaahi lahu fee d-dunyaa khizyun wanudheequhu yawma l-qiyaamati 'adhaaba l-hareeq
DIN 31635ṯāniya ʿiṭfihi liyuḍilla ʿan sabīli llāhi lahu fī d-dunyā ḫizyun wanuḏīquhu yawma l-qiyāmati ʿaḏāba l-ḥarīqi
Turning aside in contempt, to lead away from the path of God. He will have humiliation in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection We will make him taste the agony of burning.
Turning away in pride to beguile (men) from the way of Allah. For him in this world is ignominy, and on the Day of Resurrection We make him taste the doom of burning
twisting his neck from the way of God; for him is disgrace in this world, and we will make him taste, upon the resurrection day, the torment of burning
Turning aside in scorn to mislead others from the way of God! Disgrace shall be his in this world; and on the day of the resurrection, We will make him taste the torment of the burning
proudly turning his side, that he may seduce men from the way of God. Ignominy shall attend him in this world; and on the day of resurrection We will make him taste the torment of burning
ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاكَ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّٰمٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
Easy-read (simplified)dhaalika bimaa qaddamat yadaaka wa'anna llaaha laysa bizallaamin lil'abeed
DIN 31635ḏālika bimā qaddamat yadāka waʾanna llāha laysa biẓallāmin lilʿabīdi
The translators word this verse differently
That is for what your hands have advanced, and because God is not unjust to the servants.
(And unto him it will be said): This is for that which thy two hands have sent before, and because Allah is no oppressor of His slaves
That is for what thy hands have done before, and for that God is not unjust unto His servants
This, for thy handywork of old! for God is not unjust to His servants
when it shall be said unto him, this thou sufferest because of that which thy hands have formerly committed; for God is not unjust towards mankind
22:11 — the verse above
يَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُۥ وَمَا لَا يَنفَعُهُۥ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلضَّلَٰلُ ٱلْبَعِيدُ
Easy-read (simplified)yad'oo min dooni llaahi maa laa yadurruhu wamaa laa yanfa'uhu dhaalika huwa d-dalaalu l-ba'eed
DIN 31635yadʿū min dūni llāhi mā lā yaḍurruhu wamā lā yanfaʿuhu ḏālika huwa ḍ-ḍalālu l-baʿīdu
The translators word this verse differently
He invokes, instead of God, what can neither harm him nor benefit him. That is the far straying.
He calleth, beside Allah, unto that which hurteth him not nor benefiteth him. That is the far error
He calls, besides God, on what can neither harm him nor profit him;- that is a wide error
He calleth upon that beside God which can neither hurt him nor profit him. This same is the far-gone error
He will call upon that, besides God, which can neither hurt him, nor profit him. This is an error remote from truth
يَدْعُوا۟ لَمَن ضَرُّهُۥٓ أَقْرَبُ مِن نَّفْعِهِۦ لَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ وَلَبِئْسَ ٱلْعَشِيرُ
Easy-read (simplified)yad'oo laman darruhu aqrabu min naf'ihi labi'sa l-mawlaa walabi'sa l-'asheer
DIN 31635yadʿū laman ḍarruhu ʾaqrabu min nafʿihi labiʾsa l-mawlā walabiʾsa l-ʿašīru
The translators word this verse differently
He invokes one whose harm is closer than his benefit. What a miserable master. What a miserable companion.
He calleth unto him whose harm is nearer than his benefit; verily an evil patron and verily an evil friend
He calls on him whose harm is nigher than his profit,- a bad lord and a bad comrade
He calleth on him who would sooner hurt than profit him. Surely, bad the lord, and, surely, bad the vassal
He will invoke him who will sooner be of hurt to his worshipper than of advantage. Such is surely a miserable patron, and a miserable companion
What this study rests on, and what it refusessigned with it1 of the 1 paragraphs signed with this study
The selection above and this account of it are part of what was signed. Where the renderings disagree it says so; where the question runs past what has cleared the rights audit it says that too.
The question asks whether worship done mainly for what it brings is wrong. The anchor is 22:11, the verse the question turns on; no live study carries it. The probe 'edge|marge|brink|verge|single point' returns 15 rows at four verses; at 22:11 the words describe the worship itself, and at the other three verses they describe other things. The probe 'turnaround|turneth him round|turneth himself round|turns round|falleth away' returns 5 rows, all at 22:11. The probe 'reward|rewards' returns 630 rows at 246 verses; the five speak of reward often, and this study does not read those verses or weigh them against 22:11. The prayer that asks for this world only, and the prayer that asks for good in both, are read in the study 'Our Lord, give us good in this world and the next' - where is it, and what does it ask? This study does not say how a person's intention is weighed, or whether a deed done partly for gain counts. Those questions belong to and jurisprudence, a layer this platform does not hold or show.
Sources & method
Translations Edward Henry Palmer, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired
Edward Henry Palmer, English translation of the Qur'an ·1880 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Translations George Sale, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired
George Sale, English translation of the Qur'an ·1734 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Translations John Medows Rodwell, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired
John Medows Rodwell, English translation of the Qur'an ·1861 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Translations Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran·Public domain — copyright term expired
Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran ·1930 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Translations Talal Itani, ClearQuran·Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Talal Itani, ClearQuran ·ClearQuran, "God" edition, EPUB·Talal Itani / ClearQuran.com ·Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International·retrieved 7 Sep 2026
Translation by Talal Itani, ClearQuran.com https://clearquran.com
Editorial status
- Editorial status
- Editorially prepared · not independently reviewed — signed by the AALAMIN Editor; no external scholarly review
- Theme
- Nature
- Review status
- Published
- 12 October 2026
A dashed outline marks a tag the editors handle with extra care. It describes how this study is filed and shown, not what the verses say.
AALAMIN Editor
Qur'anic text from the Tanzil Project. Copyright (C) 2007-2026 Tanzil Project License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Source: tanzil.net · Updates: tanzil.net/updates/ https://tanzil.net/updates/