وَنَجَّيْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ يَتَّقُونَ 18
Translations
And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allāh.
Transliteration
Wa najjayna alladhina amanu wa kanu yattaqun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah saves and delivers those who believe and practice taqwa (God-consciousness). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that true belief must be accompanied by righteous action and fear of Allah—mere verbal profession is insufficient. The verse assures believers of divine protection and salvation as a reward for their faith and piety.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Fussilat (a Meccan surah), within a passage describing the Day of Judgment and the fates of believers versus disbelievers. It contextualizes the broader theme of the surah: that the Quran details and explains divine truths, and those who accept and practice upon it will be saved, while those who reject it face destruction.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Taqwa is here' (pointing to the heart) three times (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2409). Additionally, 'The most perfect of believers in faith are the best of them in character' (Sunan Abu Dawud 4682), reflecting the integration of belief and righteous conduct.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers are reminded that salvation is not achieved through faith alone, but through the combination of sincere belief and conscious obedience to Allah's commands. This encourages continuous self-examination and spiritual vigilance, reassuring the faithful that their efforts to maintain piety will result in Allah's protection and ultimate deliverance.
Related Ayahs
مَّا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِن قَبْلِكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
Nothing is said to you, [O Muḥammad], except what was already said to the messengers before you. Indeed, your Lord is a possessor of forgiveness and a possessor of painful penalty.
فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًا صَرْصَرًا فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ نَّحِسَاتٍ لِّنُذِيقَهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَخْزَىٰ ۖ وَهُمْ لَا يُنصَرُونَ
So We sent upon them a screaming wind during days of misfortune to make them taste the punishment of disgrace in the worldly life; but the punishment of the Hereafter is more disgracing, and they will not be helped.
فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا۟ فَقُلْ أَنذَرْتُكُمْ صَـٰعِقَةً مِّثْلَ صَـٰعِقَةِ عَادٍ وَثَمُودَ
But if they turn away, then say, "I have warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt [that struck] ʿAad and Thamūd.
وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَانًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ ءَايَـٰتُهُۥٓ ۖ ءَا۬عْجَمِىٌّ وَعَرَبِىٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍۭ بَعِيدٍ
And if We had made it a foreign [i.e., non-Arabic] Qur’ān, they would have said, "Why are its verses not explained in detail [in our language]? Is it a foreign [recitation] and an Arab [messenger]?" Say, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure." And those who do not believe - in their ears is deafness, and it is upon them blindness. Those are being called from a distant place.