أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ 157
Translations
Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.
Transliteration
Ulā'ika 'alayhim salawātun min rabbihim wa rahmatun wa ulā'ika humu al-muhtadūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to those who believe in the unseen and establish prayer, indicating that upon them descend blessings (salawāt) and mercy from their Lord, and they are the truly guided ones. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir explain that 'salawāt' here means Allah's praise, honor, and blessings upon the believers, while 'rahma' (mercy) represents His compassion and forgiveness. This ayah concludes the description of the muttaqin (the God-fearing) begun in verses 2:2-5, affirming that true guidance and divine favor belong exclusively to those who possess complete faith and righteous action.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the opening section of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:1-5) which describes the characteristics of the believers who will succeed. The surah was revealed in Medina after the Hijrah, and this particular passage establishes the spiritual foundation for the Muslim community, contrasting the guided believers with those who reject faith and those who are hypocrites (munāfiqūn), described in subsequent verses.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027). Also relevant is the hadith: 'Whoever guides to good is like one who does it' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2674), connecting guidance with divine reward and mercy.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers who maintain sincere faith and righteous deeds receive continuous blessings and mercy from Allah, and this divine favor is the ultimate measure of success. In our modern context, this encourages us to seek authentic guidance through Qur'anic knowledge and righteous action, knowing that true prosperity lies not in worldly gains but in being among those whom Allah has guided and blessed.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذْ وَٰعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰٓ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذْتُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَنتُمْ ظَـٰلِمُونَ
And [recall] when We made an appointment with Moses for forty nights. Then you took [for worship] the calf after him [i.e., his departure], while you were wrongdoers.
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَتْلُونَهُۥ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِۦٓ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ
Those to whom We have given the Book recite it with its true recital. They [are the ones who] believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it - it is they who are the losers.
وَإِذَا تَوَلَّىٰ سَعَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيُفْسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهْلِكَ ٱلْحَرْثَ وَٱلنَّسْلَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْفَسَادَ
And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allāh does not like corruption.
ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ تَظَـٰهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَـٰرَىٰ تُفَـٰدُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ ۚ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْىٌ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَشَدِّ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
Then, you are those [same ones who are] killing one another and evicting a party of your people from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their eviction was forbidden to you. So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.