وَقُلِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ فَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ 105
Translations
And say, "Do [as you will], for Allāh will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do."
Transliteration
Wa qul i'malu fa-sa-yara allahu 'amalakum wa rasuluh wa-al-mu'minun wa-saturadduna ila 'alim al-ghayb wa-al-shahada fa-yunabbi'ukum bi-ma kuntum ta'malun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet to tell the believers to work righteously, as their deeds will be observed by Allah, His Messenger, and the believers themselves. The ayah emphasizes that ultimately all people will return to Allah, the Knower of the unseen and the seen, who will inform them of all their deeds and hold them accountable. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this ayah serves as a motivation for sincere action and a warning against hypocrisy or negligence in worship.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah At-Tawbah, a Medinan surah dealing with repentance, accountability, and the obligations of the Muslim community. It is contextually situated among verses addressing the behavior and sincerity of believers, emphasizing that deeds performed with proper intention will be witnessed by Allah and His Messenger.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Truly, actions are only by intentions, and each person will have only what they intended' (Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim). Additionally, the hadith: 'Indeed, Allah does not look at your forms or your wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and your deeds' (Sahih Muslim).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that all actions are observed by Allah and will be judged, encouraging believers to perform deeds with pure intention and continuous consciousness of Allah's presence. It serves as a reminder that accountability is not merely individual but communal, and that believers should inspire one another toward righteousness.
Related Ayahs
فَسِيحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِى ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخْزِى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
So travel freely, [O disbelievers], throughout the land [during] four months but know that you cannot cause failure to Allāh and that Allāh will disgrace the disbelievers.
وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَـٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِى جَنَّـٰتِ عَدْنٍ ۚ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Allāh has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allāh is greater. It is that which is the great attainment.
فَلَمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦ بَخِلُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَتَوَلَّوا۟ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ
But when He gave them from His bounty, they were stingy with it and turned away while they refused.
فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلْأَشْهُرُ ٱلْحُرُمُ فَٱقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَٱحْصُرُوهُمْ وَٱقْعُدُوا۟ لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ ۚ فَإِن تَابُوا۟ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَخَلُّوا۟ سَبِيلَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
And when the inviolable months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakāh, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.