وَقُلِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ فَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ 105
Translations
And say, "Do [as you will], for Allāh will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do."
Transliteration
Wa qul i'malu fa-sa-yara allahu 'amalakum wa rasuluh wa-al-mu'minun wa-saturadduna ila 'alim al-ghayb wa-al-shahada fa-yunabbi'ukum bi-ma kuntum ta'malun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet to tell the believers to work righteously, as their deeds will be observed by Allah, His Messenger, and the believers themselves. The ayah emphasizes that ultimately all people will return to Allah, the Knower of the unseen and the seen, who will inform them of all their deeds and hold them accountable. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this ayah serves as a motivation for sincere action and a warning against hypocrisy or negligence in worship.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah At-Tawbah, a Medinan surah dealing with repentance, accountability, and the obligations of the Muslim community. It is contextually situated among verses addressing the behavior and sincerity of believers, emphasizing that deeds performed with proper intention will be witnessed by Allah and His Messenger.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Truly, actions are only by intentions, and each person will have only what they intended' (Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim). Additionally, the hadith: 'Indeed, Allah does not look at your forms or your wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and your deeds' (Sahih Muslim).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that all actions are observed by Allah and will be judged, encouraging believers to perform deeds with pure intention and continuous consciousness of Allah's presence. It serves as a reminder that accountability is not merely individual but communal, and that believers should inspire one another toward righteousness.
Related Ayahs
أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَأْخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Do they not know that it is Allāh who accepts repentance from His servants and receives charities and that it is Allāh who is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful?
مَا كَانَ لِأَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ أَن يَتَخَلَّفُوا۟ عَن رَّسُولِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَرْغَبُوا۟ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ وَلَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَطَـُٔونَ مَوْطِئًا يَغِيظُ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَلَا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ نَّيْلًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُم بِهِۦ عَمَلٌ صَـٰلِحٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
It was not [proper] for the people of Madīnah and those surrounding them of the bedouins that they remain behind after [the departure of] the Messenger of Allāh or that they prefer themselves over his self. That is because they are not afflicted by thirst or fatigue or hunger in the cause of Allāh, nor do they tread on any ground that enrages the disbelievers, nor do they inflict upon an enemy any infliction but that it is registered for them as a righteous deed. Indeed, Allāh does not allow to be lost the reward of the doers of good.
ثُمَّ يَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Then Allāh will accept repentance after that for whom He wills; and Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
قُلْ هَلْ تَرَبَّصُونَ بِنَآ إِلَّآ إِحْدَى ٱلْحُسْنَيَيْنِ ۖ وَنَحْنُ نَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمْ أَن يُصِيبَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ مِّنْ عِندِهِۦٓ أَوْ بِأَيْدِينَا ۖ فَتَرَبَّصُوٓا۟ إِنَّا مَعَكُم مُّتَرَبِّصُونَ
Say, "Do you await for us except one of the two best things [i.e., martyrdom or victory] while we await for you that Allāh will afflict you with punishment from Himself or at our hands? So wait; indeed we, along with you, are waiting."