هُمْ دَرَجَـٰتٌ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ 163
Translations
They are [varying] degrees in the sight of Allāh, and Allāh is Seeing of whatever they do.
Transliteration
Hum darajatun 'inda-llahi wa-llahu baseerun bima ya'malun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that believers possess varying ranks and degrees (darajat) in the sight of Allah based on their deeds, knowledge, and sincerity. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that these distinctions in spiritual stations are determined by one's actions and intentions, while Allah's perfect sight (basir) encompasses and witnesses all deeds—rewarding each person according to their true merit. The ayah emphasizes both divine justice and the reality of accountability, as Allah's knowledge is all-encompassing and His judgment perfectly fair.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ali 'Imran's discussion of the Battle of Uhud and its aftermath. It comes within a passage addressing believers' different contributions and sacrifices in the path of Allah, establishing that variations in reward are based on sincere effort and proximity to Allah, not merely external circumstances.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The best of you are those with the best character' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, 'Actions are judged by intentions, and each person will have what they intended' (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim), emphasizing that Allah judges based on both deeds and sincere intentions.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should strive for excellence in their actions while recognizing that Allah alone determines true worth and reward—not worldly status or appearances. This encourages sincere effort, humility before Allah's judgment, and trust that no good deed goes unnoticed by the All-Seeing.
Related Ayahs
فَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ
And whoever turned away after that - they were the defiantly disobedient.
فَمَنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
And whoever invents about Allāh untruth after that - then those are [truly] the wrongdoers.
فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ
Then whoever argues with you about it after [this] knowledge has come to you - say, "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of Allāh upon the liars [among us]."
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَىٰ طَآئِفَةً مِّنكُمْ ۖ وَطَآئِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ غَيْرَ ٱلْحَقِّ ظَنَّ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِيَّةِ ۖ يَقُولُونَ هَل لَّنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْأَمْرَ كُلَّهُۥ لِلَّهِ ۗ يُخْفُونَ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِم مَّا لَا يُبْدُونَ لَكَ ۖ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ شَىْءٌ مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَـٰهُنَا ۗ قُل لَّوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَتْلُ إِلَىٰ مَضَاجِعِهِمْ ۖ وَلِيَبْتَلِىَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فِى صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ
Then after distress, He sent down upon you security [in the form of] drowsiness, overcoming a faction of you, while another faction worried about themselves, thinking of Allāh other than the truth - the thought of ignorance, saying, "Is there anything for us [to have done] in this matter?" Say, "Indeed, the matter belongs completely to Allāh." They conceal within themselves what they will not reveal to you. They say, "If there was anything we could have done in the matter, we [i.e., some of us] would not have been killed right here." Say, "Even if you had been inside your houses, those decreed to be killed would have come out to their death beds." [It was] so that Allāh might test what is in your breasts and purify what is in your hearts. And Allāh is Knowing of that within the breasts.