مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَنْ أَسَآءَ فَعَلَيْهَا ۗ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّـٰمٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ 46
Translations
Whoever does righteousness - it is for his [own] soul; and whoever does evil [does so] against it. And your Lord is not ever unjust to [His] servants.
Transliteration
Man 'amila salihan falinnafsihi wa man asa fa 'alayha wa ma rabbuka bidhallamin lil-'abid
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the principle of personal accountability: whoever performs righteous deeds does so for their own benefit, and whoever commits evil does so to their own detriment. The final clause emphasizes Allah's perfect justice, affirming that He is never unjust to His servants—each soul bears only the consequences of its own actions. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi highlight this as a foundational principle of Islamic theology, negating any notion that Allah holds people accountable for others' sins or acts unjustly.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during the early Islamic period, this ayah is part of Surah Fussilat's broader theme of divine wisdom and clarity in revelation. It addresses the Meccan polytheists' objections and reinforces the concept of individual moral responsibility before Allah, which is central to Quranic monotheism. This doctrine contrasts with pre-Islamic Arabian beliefs about inherited guilt and collective punishment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Each of you is a guardian, and each of you will be asked about those under your guardianship' (Sahih Bukhari 893), emphasizing personal responsibility. Additionally, 'No soul will bear the burden of another' (Quran 17:15) aligns thematically with this ayah's message, supported by numerous ahadith on individual accountability on the Day of Judgment.
Themes
Key Lesson
Each person is solely responsible for their own actions and will answer to Allah individually on the Day of Judgment; we cannot benefit from others' good deeds nor be punished for their sins. This encourages believers to focus on self-improvement and righteous conduct while trusting in Allah's perfect justice.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَسْتَوِى ٱلْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ٱدْفَعْ بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ
And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon, the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.
وَقَالُوا۟ لِجُلُودِهِمْ لِمَ شَهِدتُّمْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنطَقَنَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ خَلَقَكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
And they will say to their skins, "Why have you testified against us?" They will say, "We were made to speak by Allāh, who has made everything speak; and He created you the first time, and to Him you are returned.
نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَآؤُكُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِىٓ أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ
We [angels] were your allies in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter. And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request [or wish]
۞ وَقَيَّضْنَا لَهُمْ قُرَنَآءَ فَزَيَّنُوا۟ لَهُم مَّا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَحَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَوْلُ فِىٓ أُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ خَـٰسِرِينَ
And We appointed for them companions who made attractive to them what was before them and what was behind them [of sin], and the word [i.e., decree] has come into effect upon them among nations which had passed on before them of jinn and men. Indeed, they [all] were losers.