هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّلْمُحْسِنِينَ 3
Translations
As guidance and mercy for the doers of good
Transliteration
Hudan wa rahmatun lil-muhsinin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the Quran as a guidance (huda) and mercy (rahma) specifically for those who do good (al-muhsinun). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that while the Quran is a mercy for all mankind, its full benefits and blessings are realized by those who act righteously and sincerely follow its teachings. Al-Qurtubi notes that ihsan (excellence/doing good) is the condition that unlocks the transformative power of divine guidance and mercy in one's life.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the opening section of Surah Luqman, which is a Meccan surah focused on moral instruction and wisdom. The context describes the Quran's attributes and benefits, setting the stage for the ethical teachings (particularly the advice of Luqman to his son) that follow in the surah. The Quran's designation as 'guidance and mercy for the muhsinun' establishes that righteous action is integral to benefiting from divine revelation.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Indeed, Allah has written excellence upon all things' (Sahih Muslim 1955), emphasizing the centrality of ihsan. Additionally, the hadith of Jibrail in Sahih Muslim describes ihsan as 'to worship Allah as though you see Him, for if you do not see Him, surely He sees you,' directly connecting excellence to the mercy and guidance mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that receiving true benefit from Allah's guidance requires sincere effort and righteous action—the Quran is a mercy that responds to our commitment to excellence. For modern believers, this means approaching Islamic teachings not merely as intellectual concepts but as a transformative mercy that becomes effective through consistent, conscious practice of virtue in thought and deed.