سُوْرَةُ فُصِّلَتۡ

Surah Fussilat (41) — Ayah 46

Explained in detail · Meccan · Juz 24 · Page 481

مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَنْ أَسَآءَ فَعَلَيْهَا ۗ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّـٰمٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ ﴿46﴾
Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for (the benefit of) his ownself; and whosoever does evil, it is against his ownself. And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves.
مَّنْ man Whoever
عَمِلَ ʿamila does
صَـٰلِحًۭا ṣāliḥan righteous deeds
فَلِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ falinafsihi then it is for his soul
وَمَنْ waman and whoever
أَسَآءَ asāa does evil
فَعَلَيْهَا ۗ faʿalayhā then it is against it
وَمَا wamā And not
رَبُّكَ rabbuka (is) your Lord
بِظَلَّـٰمٍۢ biẓallāmin unjust
لِّلْعَبِيدِ lil'ʿabīdi to His slaves

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 46) ➊ { مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهٖ … :} In this, there is comfort for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the believers that if these people do not believe, then there is no blame upon you for it. Whoever does righteous deeds, its benefit is for himself, and whoever does evil, its burden is upon himself.
{ وَ مَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيْدِ:} And Allah does not wrong the servants in any way, by not giving someone the reward for his good deed, or place one’s evil upon another.
➌ Here, there is a famous question regarding the word {’’ بِظَلَّامٍ ‘‘}; for this question and its answer, see the exegesis of Surah Al-Imran (182), Al-Anfal (51), and Surah Al-Hajj (10).

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.

46. 1. Because He only punishes the one who is sinful, not just anyone He wishes, arbitrarily subjecting them to punishment.

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.

46. Whoever does a good deed, it is for his own benefit; and whoever does evil, it is to his own detriment. And your Lord is not unjust to His servants [60].

[60] That is, your Lord has no desire to punish His servants without reason. Nor can He commit such injustice as to not reward those who do good, or to not punish those who do evil for their wrongdoing.