فَـَٔاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَحُسْنَ ثَوَابِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ 148
Translations
So Allāh gave them the reward of this world and the good reward of the Hereafter. And Allāh loves the doers of good.
Transliteration
Fa-ātāhum-ul-lāhu thawāb-ad-dunyā wa-husan thawāb-il-ākhirah. Wa-al-lāhu yuhib-ul-muhsinīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah, revealed after the Battle of Uhud, promises that those who obey Allah and His Messenger receive rewards both in this worldly life and in the Hereafter, with the latter being superior. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that Allah grants the believers both temporal blessings (victory, honor, security) and eternal reward, emphasizing that obedience to Allah is never without recompense. The concluding phrase affirms that Allah loves those who do good deeds (al-muhsinūn), linking righteousness directly to divine love.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ali 'Imran's discussion of the Battle of Uhud (3 AH), where Muslims initially succeeded but suffered a setback due to archers abandoning their positions. The verse addresses the believers who remained steadfast despite this trial, reassuring them of Allah's reward for their perseverance and obedience.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The reward of deeds depends upon the intention, and every person will get the reward according to what he intended' (Sahih Bukhari 1). Additionally, 'Whoever does good deeds for the sake of Allah, Allah will reward him abundantly' (thematic in multiple hadith collections).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that sincere obedience to Allah yields blessings in both dimensions of existence—the temporal and eternal—encouraging believers to maintain righteousness not for immediate worldly gain alone, but for the greater reward of the Hereafter while trusting that Allah will not leave their efforts unrewarded in this life.