سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ

Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 61

The Believers · Meccan · Juz 18 · Page 346

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَـٰبِقُونَ ﴿61﴾
It is these who hasten in the good deeds, and they are foremost in them [e.g. offering the compulsory Salât (prayers) in their (early) stated, fixed times and so on].
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ulāika (It is) those
يُسَـٰرِعُونَ yusāriʿūna who hasten
فِى in
ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ l-khayrāti the good (deeds)
وَهُمْ wahum and they
لَهَا lahā in them
سَـٰبِقُونَ sābiqūna (are) foremost

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah 61) {اُولٰٓىِٕكَ يُسٰرِعُوْنَ فِي الْخَيْرٰتِ …:} That is, these people who possess these four qualities are the ones who hasten to do good deeds and they are the ones who surpass others in attaining them. (See Surah Al-Waqi'ah: 10 to 26) Tabari has narrated with a good chain of narration from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) regarding {’’ وَ هُمْ لَهَا سٰبِقُوْنَ ‘‘}, he says: {’’سَبَقَتْ لَهُمُ السَّعَادَةُ‘‘} "That is, because of these four qualities of theirs (which are already in Allah's knowledge), the good fortune of attaining good deeds quickly has already been decreed for them." As if this is synonymous with the verse: « اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِّنَّا الْحُسْنٰۤى اُولٰٓىِٕكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُوْنَ» [ الأنبیاء : ۱۰۱ ] "Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] from Us has already gone forth, they will be kept far removed from it."

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

It is they who hasten to do good deeds and strive to outdo one another in them [60].

[60] In contrast to those people, Allah Almighty has now described a few qualities of His sincere servants. The very first point is that, despite continuously performing good deeds, they do not develop pride or arrogance over their righteousness. Rather, they remain fearful before Allah that perhaps their deeds may not be worthy of acceptance in the court of Allah, or that there may have been some shortcoming in them. The second quality is that they believe only in the verses revealed from Allah, and by reflecting upon the signs of Allah scattered throughout the universe, they attain knowledge from them, which instills in their hearts the awe and majesty of Allah. The third quality is that they strive to avoid every major and minor form of shirk (associating partners with Allah). The fourth quality is that, even after giving charity and alms from their wealth and other blessings bestowed by Allah, they still fear being questioned about their deeds in the presence of Allah. As is made clear by the following hadith: Hazrat Aisha ؓ narrates that she asked the Prophet ﷺ about this verse, "Those who give in the way of Allah, what is it that they fear? Do they drink wine or steal?" The Prophet ﷺ replied: "O daughter of As-Siddiq! It is not that, rather, these are the people who fast, pray, and give charity. Despite this, they fear that their deeds may not be accepted. These are the ones who hasten and excel in good deeds." [ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير]