وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ مِن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًا 124
Translations
And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer - those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, [even as much as] the speck on a date seed.
Transliteration
Wa man ya'mal mina as-salihati min dhakarin aw untha wa huwa mu'min fa-ula'ika yadkhulun al-jannata wa la yuzlamun naqiran
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the principle of gender equality in reward for righteous deeds, affirming that both men and women who perform good works while maintaining faith will enter Paradise without any diminishment of their reward. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this verse was revealed to refute pre-Islamic Arabian notions that women's deeds held less spiritual value, establishing that piety and virtue are the sole criteria for Divine reward regardless of gender. The phrase 'wa la yuzlamun naqiran' (and they will not be wronged even by the weight of a date-seed) underscores the absolute justice of Allah's accounting, meaning no good deed, however small, will be overlooked or diminished.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah An-Nisa (revealed in Madinah), which comprehensively addresses women's rights, inheritance, and social status in Islam. The broader context of this surah addresses women's legal standing and dignity, and this particular verse directly counters the pre-Islamic Arab custom of devaluing women's spiritual and moral contributions.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their wives, and I am the best among you to my wives' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, 'Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is recorded in Sahih Bukhari as having transmitted numerous hadiths, exemplifying women's equal capacity for knowledge and spiritual contribution.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that spiritual worth and reward are determined solely by faith and righteous action, not by gender or social status, encouraging all believers—regardless of circumstance—to pursue excellence in character and deed with the certainty that no effort in obedience to Allah goes unrecognized or unrewarded.