إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا 30
Translations
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina amanu wa amilu al-salihati inna la nudi'u ajra man ahsana amala
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah assures the believers that Allah does not waste the reward of those who have faith and perform righteous deeds. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this is a divine promise of justice and compensation—no good deed, however small, goes unrecorded or unrewarded by Allah. The ayah serves as a source of hope and motivation for the believers to persist in their obedience despite worldly hardships.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Kahf, a Meccan chapter revealed during a period when the early Muslims faced persecution and discouragement in Mecca. The surah contains multiple stories of believers facing trials, and this verse provides reassurance that their sacrifices and good works will not be in vain. It is part of the broader thematic message encouraging steadfastness in faith.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done consistently, even if they are small' (Sahih Bukhari 6464). Additionally, the Quran states in 99:7-8: 'So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it,' reinforcing this principle of divine accountability.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that sincerity in faith combined with righteous action creates a bond with Allah that ensures no effort is wasted. For modern readers, it provides solace that perseverance in doing good, even when results are unseen or delayed, is inherently valuable and will be justly rewarded by Allah.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ لَوَٰقِعٌ
Indeed, the punishment of your Lord will occur.
وَإِن يُرِيدُوا۟ خِيَانَتَكَ فَقَدْ خَانُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مِن قَبْلُ فَأَمْكَنَ مِنْهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
But if they intend to betray you - then they have already betrayed Allāh before, and He empowered [you] over them. And Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا ٱلسَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُم بَغْتَةً ۖ فَقَدْ جَآءَ أَشْرَاطُهَا ۚ فَأَنَّىٰ لَهُمْ إِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ ذِكْرَىٰهُمْ
Then do they await except that the Hour should come upon them unexpectedly? But already there have come [some of] its indications. Then how [i.e., what good] to them, when it has come, will be their remembrance?
۞ وَإِذَا وَقَعَ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَآبَّةً مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ كَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ
And when the word [i.e., decree] befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith].