ٱلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ ۚ لَا ظُلْمَ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ 17
Translations
This Day every soul will be recompensed for what it earned. No injustice today! Indeed, Allāh is swift in account.
Transliteration
Al-yawma tujza kulla nafsin bima kasabat. La zulma al-yawm. Inna Allaha saree'u al-hisab.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the Day of Judgment when every soul will be recompensed according to its deeds—whether good or evil—with absolute justice and no oppression. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this verse assures believers of Allah's perfect justice on the Day of Resurrection, where no one will be wronged even by the weight of an atom. The phrase 'Allah is Swift in reckoning' (saree'u al-hisab) underscores that despite the vast multitude of creation, Allah's accounting is instantaneous and flawless, reflecting His infinite knowledge and power.
Revelation Context
Surah Ghafir is a Meccan chapter primarily addressing polytheists and emphasizing monotheism and the certainty of the Day of Judgment. This ayah fits within the surah's broader theme of warning the disbelievers and reassuring believers of divine justice, presented in the context of confrontations between believers and the arrogant oppressors in Mecca.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'On the Day of Judgment, the first case to be judged between people will be about bloodshed' (Sahih Bukhari 6533), affirming that deeds are meticulously accounted for. Additionally, Surah An-Nisa 4:40 complements this theme: 'Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom's weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah instills the certainty that every action—no matter how small—will be accounted for by Allah with perfect justice, encouraging believers to be mindful of their deeds and intentions in this life. For modern readers, it serves as a powerful reminder that worldly injustices will be rectified on the Day of Judgment, providing comfort to the oppressed and warning to the oppressors.
Related Ayahs
وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِكُلِّ نَفْسٍ ظَلَمَتْ مَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لَٱفْتَدَتْ بِهِۦ ۗ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ۖ وَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
And if each soul that wronged had everything on earth, it would offer it in ransom. And they will confide regret when they see the punishment; and they will be judged in justice, and they will not be wronged.
فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ
Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.
وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ ءَاتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ
And [that they may know] that the Hour is coming - no doubt about it - and that Allāh will resurrect those in the graves.
وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًا لَّا تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا تَنفَعُهَا شَفَـٰعَةٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, and no compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be aided.