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
ٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِن تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ
Ask forgiveness for them, [O Muḥammad], or do not ask forgiveness for them. If you should ask forgiveness for them seventy times - never will Allāh forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messenger, and Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
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.
أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَأَصْحَـٰبِ مَدْيَنَ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتِ ۚ أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Has there not reached them the news of those before them - the people of Noah and [the tribes of] ʿAad and Thamūd and the people of Abraham and the companions [i.e., dwellers] of Madyan and the towns overturned? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. And Allāh would never have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves.
ٱلْأَعْرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًا وَنِفَاقًا وَأَجْدَرُ أَلَّا يَعْلَمُوا۟ حُدُودَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
The bedouins are stronger in disbelief and hypocrisy and more likely not to know the limits of what [laws] Allāh has revealed to His Messenger. And Allāh is Knowing and Wise.