وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ 39
Translations
And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
Transliteration
Wa an laysa lil-insani illa ma sa'a
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the principle that a person receives only the reward or benefit of their own efforts and striving (sa'y). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain this in the context of human accountability—one cannot benefit from another's deeds, nor can intercession or Divine favor grant reward without personal effort. The ayah emphasizes personal responsibility in earning both worldly and spiritual rewards, negating any reliance on inherited righteousness or passive hope for salvation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah An-Najm, a Meccan chapter discussing Divine guidance and human accountability. It refutes pre-Islamic Arab notions that salvation could be inherited through lineage or that intercessors could grant unearned blessings, establishing instead that each soul bears responsibility for its own deeds.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895), illustrating that even the Prophet's family could not benefit spiritually from his status without their own righteous conduct. Additionally, 'No one's deeds will enter Paradise except by Allah's mercy' (Sahih Muslim 2816), which complements this ayah by showing effort must be coupled with Divine grace.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that spiritual and worldly success depend on personal effort and sincere striving—neither inherited status, family connections, nor passive hope suffice for advancement. It encourages individuals to take active responsibility for their deeds and development rather than relying on others' righteousness or expecting unearned blessings.
Related Ayahs
أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ ٱللَّـٰتَ وَٱلْعُزَّىٰ
So have you considered al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā?
عِندَ سِدْرَةِ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ
At the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary -
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ
Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels female names,
ٱلَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓئِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ ۚ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ
Those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, only [committing] slight ones. Indeed, your Lord is vast in forgiveness. He was most knowing of you when He produced you from the earth and when you were fetuses in the wombs of your mothers. So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.