أَمْ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱجْتَرَحُوا۟ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَوَآءً مَّحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ ۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ 21
Translations
Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds - [make them] equal in their life and their death? Evil is that which they judge [i.e., assume].
Transliteration
Am hasibulladhina jtaraḥu as-sayyiāti an naj'alahum ka-alladhīna āmanū wa'amilū aṣ-ṣāliḥāti sawā'an muḥyāhum wa-mamātuhum; sā'a mā yaḥkumūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns the false assumption of those who commit evil deeds that they will be treated the same as the believers who have faith and perform righteous works, whether in this life or the afterlife. The verse emphasizes that Allah will never equate the evildoers with the righteous—their lives, deaths, and ultimate judgment are fundamentally different. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain this as a rhetorical rejection of the disbelievers' misconception about justice and accountability, reinforcing that deeds have eternal consequences.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Jathiyah, a Meccan surah that addresses the arguments of those who rejected the message of the Qur'an and denied the resurrection and accountability. The surah's broader context deals with refuting the false reasoning and denial of the disbelievers regarding the Day of Judgment and divine justice.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those with the best character' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). This hadith complements the ayah by emphasizing that righteousness and good deeds determine one's standing with Allah. Additionally, the hadith 'Actions are but by intentions' (Sahih Bukhari) relates to the quality of righteous deeds mentioned in the ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that there is no equivalence between righteousness and wickedness in Allah's sight, and that our choices in this life carry weight in the next. It should motivate us to evaluate our own deeds and strive for sincere faith combined with righteous action, knowing that Allah's judgment is perfectly just and will distinguish between the righteous and the wicked.
Related Ayahs
لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ
For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.
وَمَن جَآءَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ فَكُبَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِى ٱلنَّارِ هَلْ تُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
And whoever comes with an evil deed - their faces will be overturned into the Fire, [and it will be said], "Are you recompensed except for what you used to do?"
وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِكُلِّ نَفْسٍ ظَلَمَتْ مَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لَٱفْتَدَتْ بِهِۦ ۗ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ۖ وَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
And if each soul that wronged had everything on earth, it would offer it in ransom. And they will confide regret when they see the punishment; and they will be judged in justice, and they will not be wronged.
سَنَفْرُغُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَ ٱلثَّقَلَانِ
We will attend to you, O prominent beings.