لَهُم مَّا يَشَآءُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ 34
Translations
They will have whatever they desire with their Lord. That is the reward of the doers of good -
Transliteration
Lahum mā yashāʾūn ʿinda Rabbihim, dhālik jazāʾu al-muḥsinīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah promises that the righteous (al-muhsinūn) will receive whatever they desire in the presence of their Lord in Paradise. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this verse emphasizes the supreme reward of those who excel in their deeds and maintain ihsan (excellence in worship), indicating that their desires in the afterlife will be perfectly fulfilled and exceed even their greatest hopes. The phrase 'whatever they wish' (mā yashāʾūn) encompasses both spiritual and material delights that cannot be comprehended in this worldly life.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Az-Zumar's discussion of the Day of Judgment and the ultimate recompense for deeds. The broader thematic context emphasizes that sincere believers who practice ihsan—worshipping Allah as if seeing Him—will receive the greatest rewards. This surah was revealed in Mecca during a period when the early Muslim community faced persecution, offering them hope in divine justice and ultimate vindication.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever believes in Allah and His messenger has fulfilled the task,' and more directly, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet describes Paradise: 'Therein are things which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever conceived.' This aligns with the concept that the rewards of al-muhsinūn transcend human imagination.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that practicing ihsan—performing good deeds with sincerity and consciousness of Allah—is the pathway to unimaginable rewards that surpass our worldly desires and comprehension. It should inspire believers to focus on the quality of their relationship with Allah rather than immediate material gains, trusting that divine justice will provide abundantly in the eternal life.