سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 46
ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿46﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous deeds, that last, are better with your Lord for rewards and better in respect of hope.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱلْمَالُ
al-mālu
The wealth
وَٱلْبَنُونَ
wal-banūna
and children
زِينَةُ
zīnatu
(are) adornment
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ
l-ḥayati
(of) the life
ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ
wal-bāqiyātu
But the enduring
ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ
l-ṣāliḥātu
good deeds
خَيْرٌ
khayrun
(are) better
عِندَ
ʿinda
near
رَبِّكَ
rabbika
your Lord
ثَوَابًۭا
thawāban
(for) reward
وَخَيْرٌ
wakhayrun
and better
أَمَلًۭا
amalan
(for) hope
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
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 { اَلْمَالُ وَ الْبَنُوْنَ …:} The purpose of this verse is to draw people's attention towards righteous deeds, so that they do not remain engrossed merely in the adornments of worldly life, leaving behind the enduring righteous deeds which will benefit them in the Hereafter, because worldly life is unstable and temporary, as clarified in the previous verse through an example. Therefore, its glitter and adornment are even more unstable and temporary. Thus, preferring the lasting over the perishable is true success. In this verse, only wealth and sons are mentioned, because everything a person owns comes under wealth—house, livestock, gold, silver, etc. In other verses, their details and the fact that they are a trial and test are mentioned in detail; see Al Imran (14, 15), Al-Munafiqun (9), and At-Taghabun (14, 15).
➋ {وَ الْبٰقِيٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ:} These words include all righteous deeds that please Allah and whose reward remains for the Day of Resurrection. ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked what {’’الْبٰقِيٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ ‘‘} are, so he replied: [ لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَاللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ ] [ مسند أحمد : 71/1، ح : ۵۱۵ ] {’’ الْبٰقِيٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ ‘‘} also has a specific meaning, i.e., those deeds whose reward continues to reach a person even after his death. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِذَا مَاتَ الْإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ : إِلَّا مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ، أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ، أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُوْ لَهُ ] [ مسلم، الوصیۃ، باب ما یلحق الإنسان من الثواب بعد وفاتہ :۱۶۳۱ ] “When a person dies, his deeds are cut off from him except for three things: a charity that continues (such as a mosque, hospital, well, etc.), knowledge from which benefit is derived (such as teaching, writing, preaching, etc.), and a righteous child who prays for him (or students, etc., who keep praying).” Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صِيَامِ شَهْرٍ وَقِيَامِهِ، وَإِنْ مَاتَ، جَرَی عَلَيْهِ عَمَلُهُ الَّذِيْ كَانَ يَعْمَلُهُ، وَأُجْرِيَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ، وَأَمِنَ الْفَتَّانَ ] [ مسلم، الإمارۃ، باب فضل الرباط في سبیل اللہ عز وجل : ۱۹۱۳۔ ترمذي : ۱۶۶۵۔ نسائي : ۳۱۶۹، ۳۱۷۰ ] “Guarding (i.e., staying on the frontier to face the enemy) in the way of Allah for one day and one night is better than fasting and standing in prayer for a month; then if he dies, his deeds that he used to do are kept ongoing for him, and his provision is continued for him, and he remains safe from the testers (Munkar and Nakir).” In Muslim, the words are “one day and one night,” and it does not contain the words {’’ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘}. From these hadiths, it is understood that ongoing charity, teaching religion, righteous children who pray, and striving in the way of Allah are specific enduring righteous deeds, whose reward continues even after death.
➌ { خَيْرٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ … :} That is, the reward for these deeds with your Lord is better than all other rewards, and the hope for their reward is better than all other hopes.
➋ {وَ الْبٰقِيٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ:} These words include all righteous deeds that please Allah and whose reward remains for the Day of Resurrection. ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked what {’’الْبٰقِيٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ ‘‘} are, so he replied: [ لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَاللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ ] [ مسند أحمد : 71/1، ح : ۵۱۵ ] {’’ الْبٰقِيٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ ‘‘} also has a specific meaning, i.e., those deeds whose reward continues to reach a person even after his death. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِذَا مَاتَ الْإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ : إِلَّا مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ، أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ، أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُوْ لَهُ ] [ مسلم، الوصیۃ، باب ما یلحق الإنسان من الثواب بعد وفاتہ :۱۶۳۱ ] “When a person dies, his deeds are cut off from him except for three things: a charity that continues (such as a mosque, hospital, well, etc.), knowledge from which benefit is derived (such as teaching, writing, preaching, etc.), and a righteous child who prays for him (or students, etc., who keep praying).” Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صِيَامِ شَهْرٍ وَقِيَامِهِ، وَإِنْ مَاتَ، جَرَی عَلَيْهِ عَمَلُهُ الَّذِيْ كَانَ يَعْمَلُهُ، وَأُجْرِيَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ، وَأَمِنَ الْفَتَّانَ ] [ مسلم، الإمارۃ، باب فضل الرباط في سبیل اللہ عز وجل : ۱۹۱۳۔ ترمذي : ۱۶۶۵۔ نسائي : ۳۱۶۹، ۳۱۷۰ ] “Guarding (i.e., staying on the frontier to face the enemy) in the way of Allah for one day and one night is better than fasting and standing in prayer for a month; then if he dies, his deeds that he used to do are kept ongoing for him, and his provision is continued for him, and he remains safe from the testers (Munkar and Nakir).” In Muslim, the words are “one day and one night,” and it does not contain the words {’’ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘}. From these hadiths, it is understood that ongoing charity, teaching religion, righteous children who pray, and striving in the way of Allah are specific enduring righteous deeds, whose reward continues even after death.
➌ { خَيْرٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ … :} That is, the reward for these deeds with your Lord is better than all other rewards, and the hope for their reward is better than all other hopes.
