وَمَن يَأْتِهِۦ مُؤْمِنًا قَدْ عَمِلَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلدَّرَجَـٰتُ ٱلْعُلَىٰ 75
Translations
But whoever comes to Him as a believer having done righteous deeds - for those will be the highest degrees [in position]:
Transliteration
Wa man ya'tihi mu'minan qad 'amila al-salihati fa-ula'ika lahumu al-darajat al-'ula
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that whoever comes to Allah as a believer having performed righteous deeds will attain the highest degrees in Paradise. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this verse establishes the reward of the faithful believers—those whose faith is coupled with righteous actions—as they ascend to the loftiest stations of Jannah. The mention of 'al-darajat al-'ula' (the highest degrees) indicates multiple levels of reward corresponding to the quality and quantity of one's righteous deeds.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Taha within a passage that contrasts the fate of believers and disbelievers on the Day of Judgment (verses 20:74-76). The broader context discusses the consequences of rejecting Allah's message versus accepting it with sincere faith and righteous action, emphasizing the ultimate victory of the believers.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best among you are those who have the best character' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, 'Deeds are judged by intentions' (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) relates to the requirement that faith be genuine and accompanied by sincere righteous actions.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true success in the afterlife requires both authentic belief in Allah and the manifestation of that belief through consistent righteous conduct; faith without works is incomplete, and works without sincere faith are valueless. For modern Muslims, this emphasizes the necessity of integrating spiritual conviction with ethical action in daily life.