قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَـٰلًا 103
Translations
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds?
Transliteration
Qul hal nunabbikum bil-akhsireena a'mala
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet Muhammad to ask the disbelievers if He should inform them about those who are greatest losers in their deeds. This ayah introduces a rhetorical question that leads to the description of those whose efforts in this life are entirely wasted—namely, those who disbelieve and whose good deeds are nullified because they are not done with sincere faith in Allah. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this refers to those whose deeds lack the foundation of tawheed (monotheism) and sincere intention, rendering all their worldly accomplishments meaningless in the Hereafter.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears near the end of Surah Al-Kahf and serves as a rhetorical lead-in to verses 103-106, which describe the disbelievers whose deeds are wasted. The surah's broader context focuses on testing of faith and the consequences of rejecting Allah's guidance, making this verse thematically central to the surah's message about the ultimate value of sincere belief.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small' (Sahih Bukhari 6464). Additionally, the principle is established in multiple hadiths that deeds without sincere intention (niyyah) are rejected, as in: 'Verily, deeds are judged by intentions' (Sahih Bukhari 1, Sahih Muslim 1907).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that worldly success, wealth, and accomplishments are truly worthless without the foundation of sincere belief in Allah; believers should examine their intentions and ensure their actions are rooted in genuine faith, not mere habit, social conformity, or worldly ambition.
Related Ayahs
وَذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ لَعِبًا وَلَهْوًا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَذَكِّرْ بِهِۦٓ أَن تُبْسَلَ نَفْسٌۢ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِىٌّ وَلَا شَفِيعٌ وَإِن تَعْدِلْ كُلَّ عَدْلٍ لَّا يُؤْخَذْ مِنْهَآ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُبْسِلُوا۟ بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ ۖ لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ
And leave those who take their religion as amusement and diversion and whom the worldly life has deluded. But remind with it [i.e., the Qur’ān], lest a soul be given up to destruction for what it earned; it will have other than Allāh no protector and no intercessor. And if it should offer every compensation, it would not be taken from it [i.e., that soul]. Those are the ones who are given to destruction for what they have earned. For them will be a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment because they used to disbelieve.
تَظُنُّ أَن يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌ
Expecting that there will be done to them [something] backbreaking.
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِىٓ ءَامَنَ يَـٰقَوْمِ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُم مِّثْلَ يَوْمِ ٱلْأَحْزَابِ
And he who believed said, "O my people, indeed I fear for you [a fate] like the day of the companies -
فَإِنَّهُمْ لَـَٔاكِلُونَ مِنْهَا فَمَالِـُٔونَ مِنْهَا ٱلْبُطُونَ
And indeed, they will eat from it and fill with it their bellies.