مَن كَفَرَ فَعَلَيْهِ كُفْرُهُۥ ۖ وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا فَلِأَنفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدُونَ 44
Translations
Whoever disbelieves - upon him is [the consequence of] his disbelief. And whoever does righteousness - they are for themselves preparing,
Transliteration
Man kafara fa'alayhi kufruhu wa man 'amila salihan fa li-anfusihim yamhadun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes personal accountability before Allah: whoever disbelieves bears the burden of their own disbelief, and whoever performs righteous deeds does so for their own benefit. Ibn Kathir notes that this verse underscores the principle that the consequences of one's actions return to oneself—disbelief harms only the disbeliever, while good deeds benefit only the believer. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that 'yamhadun' (they prepare/make ready) refers to preparing a comfortable resting place in the afterlife through their righteous actions.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ar-Rum, a Meccan chapter that discusses the final Hour and the resurrection. It comes within a section addressing the disbelievers and believers of Mecca, reminding them of the consequences of their choices. The verse is thematically connected to the surah's broader message about accountability on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Each soul will know what it has sent forward and kept back' (Quran 82:5). Additionally, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet emphasized: 'The best of you are those who have the best character,' connecting righteous deeds to personal spiritual benefit.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that our relationship with Allah is deeply personal—our choices affect only ourselves, not Allah—encouraging us to take full responsibility for our actions and motivating righteous conduct for our own eternal benefit rather than external validation.
Related Ayahs
إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا ۚ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لِيَسُـۥٓـُٔوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا۟ مَا عَلَوْا۟ تَتْبِيرًا
[And said], "If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, [you do it] to them [i.e., yourselves]." Then when the final [i.e., second] promise came, [We sent your enemies] to sadden your faces and to enter the masjid [i.e., the temple in Jerusalem], as they entered it the first time, and to destroy what they had taken over with [total] destruction.
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ
And his nearest kindred who shelter him.
مَّن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُن لَّهُۥ نَصِيبٌ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُن لَّهُۥ كِفْلٌ مِّنْهَا ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقِيتًا
Whoever intercedes for a good cause will have a share [i.e., reward] therefrom; and whoever intercedes for an evil cause will have a portion [i.e., burden] therefrom. And ever is Allāh, over all things, a Keeper.