إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا 30
Translations
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina amanu wa amilu al-salihati inna la nudi'u ajra man ahsana amala
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah assures the believers that Allah does not waste the reward of those who have faith and perform righteous deeds. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this is a divine promise of justice and compensation—no good deed, however small, goes unrecorded or unrewarded by Allah. The ayah serves as a source of hope and motivation for the believers to persist in their obedience despite worldly hardships.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Kahf, a Meccan chapter revealed during a period when the early Muslims faced persecution and discouragement in Mecca. The surah contains multiple stories of believers facing trials, and this verse provides reassurance that their sacrifices and good works will not be in vain. It is part of the broader thematic message encouraging steadfastness in faith.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done consistently, even if they are small' (Sahih Bukhari 6464). Additionally, the Quran states in 99:7-8: 'So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it,' reinforcing this principle of divine accountability.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that sincerity in faith combined with righteous action creates a bond with Allah that ensures no effort is wasted. For modern readers, it provides solace that perseverance in doing good, even when results are unseen or delayed, is inherently valuable and will be justly rewarded by Allah.
Related Ayahs
وَكُلُّهُمْ ءَاتِيهِ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فَرْدًا
And all of them are coming to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.
ٱلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ ۚ لَا ظُلْمَ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ
This Day every soul will be recompensed for what it earned. No injustice today! Indeed, Allāh is swift in account.
ضَرَبَ لَكُم مَّثَلًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ هَل لَّكُم مِّن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُم مِّن شُرَكَآءَ فِى مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ فَأَنتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
He presents to you an example from yourselves. Do you have among those whom your right hands possess [i.e., slaves] any partners in what We have provided for you so that you are equal therein [and] would fear them as your fear of one another [within a partnership]? Thus do We detail the verses for a people who use reason.
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّى عَـٰمِلٌ ۖ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ كَـٰذِبٌ ۖ وَٱرْتَقِبُوٓا۟ إِنِّى مَعَكُمْ رَقِيبٌ
And O my people, work according to your position; indeed, I am working. You are going to know to whom will come a punishment that will disgrace him and who is a liar. So watch; indeed, I am with you a watcher, [awaiting the outcome]."