مَن جَآءَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُۥ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهَا وَهُم مِّن فَزَعٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ ءَامِنُونَ 89
Translations
Whoever comes [at Judgement] with a good deed will have better than it, and they, from the terror of that Day, will be safe.
Transliteration
Man jaa'a bil-hasanati falahu khayrun minhu wa hum min fazaAAin yawma'idhin aminu n
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah promises that whoever comes with good deeds will receive a reward better than the deed itself, and they will be secure from fear on the Day of Judgment. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the 'hasanah' (good deed) refers to righteous actions performed in this life, and Allah's reward is immeasurably greater than the deed itself, reflecting His infinite generosity. The second part assures believers that those who perform good deeds will be among the secure and fearless on the Day of Judgment, a day of great terror for the disbelievers.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Naml, a Meccan chapter that emphasizes divine wisdom and accountability. It comes in a section discussing the consequences of deeds and the ultimate justice of Allah on the Day of Judgment, encouraging believers to perform righteous actions despite the trials of life.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever performs a good deed will receive ten times its reward' (Sahih Muslim 2687). Additionally, 'Actions are but by intentions' (Sahih Bukhari 1) emphasizes the importance of sincere deeds, which aligns with the promise of reward in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah encourages believers to perform good deeds with the assurance that Allah's reward far exceeds the effort expended, and that righteousness provides spiritual security and peace even in the face of the feared Day of Judgment. For modern readers, it teaches that sincere good actions, no matter how small, are never wasted and carry eternal value in Allah's sight.
Related Ayahs
ٱذْهَب بِّكِتَـٰبِى هَـٰذَا فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ
Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them. Then leave them and see what [answer] they will return."
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ وَادِ ٱلنَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّمْلُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ مَسَـٰكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَـٰنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Until, when they came upon the valley of the ants, an ant said, "O ants, enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by Solomon and his soldiers while they perceive not."
قَالُوا۟ نَحْنُ أُو۟لُوا۟ قُوَّةٍ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ وَٱلْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَٱنظُرِى مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ
They said, "We are men of strength and of great military might, but the command is yours, so see what you will command."
أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَنۢبَتْنَا بِهِۦ حَدَآئِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ مَّا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُنۢبِتُوا۟ شَجَرَهَآ ۗ أَءِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ
[More precisely], is He [not best] who created the heavens and the earth and sent down for you rain from the sky, causing to grow thereby gardens of joyful beauty which you could not [otherwise] have grown the trees thereof? Is there a deity with Allāh? [No], but they are a people who ascribe equals [to Him].