سُوْرَةُ الزُّمَرِ
Surah Az-Zumar (39) — Ayah 10
قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿10﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "O My slaves who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism), be afraid of your Lord (Allâh) and keep your duty to Him. Good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world, and Allâh’s earth is spacious (so if you cannot worship Allâh at a place, then go to another)! Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
يَـٰعِبَادِ
yāʿibādi
O My slaves
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
[those] who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
ٱتَّقُوا۟
ittaqū
Fear
رَبَّكُمْ ۚ
rabbakum
your Lord
لِلَّذِينَ
lilladhīna
For those who
أَحْسَنُوا۟
aḥsanū
do good
فِى
fī
in
هَـٰذِهِ
hādhihi
this
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
world
حَسَنَةٌۭ ۗ
ḥasanatun
(is) good
وَأَرْضُ
wa-arḍu
and the earth
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَٰسِعَةٌ ۗ
wāsiʿatun
(is) spacious
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
يُوَفَّى
yuwaffā
will be paid back in full
ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ
l-ṣābirūna
the patient ones
أَجْرَهُم
ajrahum
their reward
بِغَيْرِ
bighayri
without
حِسَابٍۢ
ḥisābin
account
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 10) ➊ { قُلْ يٰعِبَادِ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوْا رَبَّكُمْ:} From the beginning of the Surah, the subject of monotheism is being discussed. Now, with great affection, the believers are addressed as "My servants" and are commanded to convey this message: that merely professing monotheism with the tongue is not sufficient, rather, adopt the piety of your Lord. The root of {’’تَقْوٰي‘‘ ’’وَقٰي يَقِيْ وِقَايَةً‘‘} is, its literal meaning is "to save oneself." The intended meaning is to abandon all those actions which may lead to the fear of Allah's punishment, and to perform all those actions whose abandonment may lead to the fear of His punishment. That is, adhere to the commands of Allah and avoid His disobedience.
➋ In { لِلَّذِيْنَ اَحْسَنُوْا فِيْ هٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ: ’’ حَسَنَةٌ ‘‘}, the tanween is for magnification. {’’ فِيْ هٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا ‘‘} is connected with {’’ اَحْسَنُوْا ‘‘}, meaning those who did righteous deeds in this world, for them is a great good. By this good is meant both the good of this world and the good of the Hereafter, because the frequent supplication of the Messenger (peace be upon him) was: [اَللّٰهُمَّ آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّ فِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ] [ بخاري، الدعوات، باب قول النبي صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ربنا … : ۶۳۸۹ ] "O Allah! Grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the punishment of the Fire." See also the commentary of Surah Al-Baqarah (201). For details of this good in both worlds, see the commentary of Surah An-Nahl (97).
➌ {وَ اَرْضُ اللّٰهِ وَاسِعَةٌ:} This is a reference to migration (hijrah). That is, if in any place you cannot adhere to the piety of Allah and there is any hindrance in practicing the religion of Allah, then Allah's earth is vast, go to another place where you can freely act upon Allah's commands. For a detailed commentary on this sentence, see verses (97 to 100) of Surah An-Nisa and their commentary.
➍ The literal meaning of { اِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصّٰبِرُوْنَ اَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ:} (sabr) is to bind. The scholars have described three types of patience: patience in adhering to Allah's commands, patience in avoiding what He has forbidden, and patience in facing hardships and calamities. The patient one is he whose very trait is patience. It is said, those whose trait is patience, only they are the ones who will be given their reward without measure. In this, there is encouragement to be patient over the hardships faced during migration and glad tidings of a reward without measure. By reward without measure is meant Paradise, because it is everlasting. Every blessing of this world, no matter how great, is bound to end, and everything that ends can be accounted for, as He said: « وَ مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّنْ ذَكَرٍ اَوْ اُنْثٰى وَ هُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ يَدْخُلُوْنَ الْجَنَّةَ يُرْزَقُوْنَ فِيْهَا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ» [ المؤمن : ۴۰ ] "And whoever does a righteous deed, whether male or female, and is a believer, then these will enter Paradise, in which they will be given provision without measure."
➋ In { لِلَّذِيْنَ اَحْسَنُوْا فِيْ هٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ: ’’ حَسَنَةٌ ‘‘}, the tanween is for magnification. {’’ فِيْ هٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا ‘‘} is connected with {’’ اَحْسَنُوْا ‘‘}, meaning those who did righteous deeds in this world, for them is a great good. By this good is meant both the good of this world and the good of the Hereafter, because the frequent supplication of the Messenger (peace be upon him) was: [اَللّٰهُمَّ آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّ فِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ] [ بخاري، الدعوات، باب قول النبي صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ربنا … : ۶۳۸۹ ] "O Allah! Grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the punishment of the Fire." See also the commentary of Surah Al-Baqarah (201). For details of this good in both worlds, see the commentary of Surah An-Nahl (97).
➌ {وَ اَرْضُ اللّٰهِ وَاسِعَةٌ:} This is a reference to migration (hijrah). That is, if in any place you cannot adhere to the piety of Allah and there is any hindrance in practicing the religion of Allah, then Allah's earth is vast, go to another place where you can freely act upon Allah's commands. For a detailed commentary on this sentence, see verses (97 to 100) of Surah An-Nisa and their commentary.
➍ The literal meaning of { اِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصّٰبِرُوْنَ اَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ:} (sabr) is to bind. The scholars have described three types of patience: patience in adhering to Allah's commands, patience in avoiding what He has forbidden, and patience in facing hardships and calamities. The patient one is he whose very trait is patience. It is said, those whose trait is patience, only they are the ones who will be given their reward without measure. In this, there is encouragement to be patient over the hardships faced during migration and glad tidings of a reward without measure. By reward without measure is meant Paradise, because it is everlasting. Every blessing of this world, no matter how great, is bound to end, and everything that ends can be accounted for, as He said: « وَ مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّنْ ذَكَرٍ اَوْ اُنْثٰى وَ هُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ يَدْخُلُوْنَ الْجَنَّةَ يُرْزَقُوْنَ فِيْهَا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ» [ المؤمن : ۴۰ ] "And whoever does a righteous deed, whether male or female, and is a believer, then these will enter Paradise, in which they will be given provision without measure."
