Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 16

16. These are the ones who will have nothing in the Hereafter except the Fire [19]. Whatever they did in the world will be ruined, and all their deeds will be in vain.

[19]
Why Will Disbelievers Who Perform Good Deeds in This World Receive Punishment in the Hereafter?

The addressees of verses 15 and 16 are not only disbelievers but also include Muslims, and the law stated in them applies equally to all. That law is: whoever performs a good deed solely for worldly gain, Allah Almighty gives him its full reward in this world, but in the Hereafter, he will have no reward for it; rather, he will also face the punishment of Hell. Here we present a few examples of this: for instance, if a disbeliever avoids lying, deceit, and fraud in his business and works with honesty, the result is that his business will flourish, and he will certainly attain that. If a Muslim does the same and avoids lying, deceit, and fraud because it is Allah’s command, then his business will also flourish, and in the Hereafter, he will also receive the reward for obeying Allah. An example of this is that a Companion, when building his house, placed a window facing the mosque. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, “For what reason did you place this window here?” He replied, “So that air can circulate.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “If you had intended that the sound of the adhan would come from here, you would have received its reward as well, and the circulation of air would have happened anyway.” Another example is the hadith in Muslim related to ostentation: on the Day of Judgment, an ostentatious and worldly scholar will be presented before Allah. Allah Almighty, reminding him of His favor, will ask, “What good deed did you do in the world?” He will say, “For Your sake, I learned religious knowledge and taught it to people.” Allah Almighty will say, “You are lying; you did this so that you would be called a great scholar. You have already been called that in the world, and you have received the full reward for your deed. Now, with Me, you have no reward.” Then the angels will be commanded to throw him into Hell. The same question and treatment will be given to the ostentatious generous person and the ostentatious warrior. [مسلم۔ كتاب الامارة۔ مَنْ قَاتَلَ للرَّيَاءِ وَالسُّمْعَةِ اِسْتَحَقَّ النَّارَ]
Here the question arises: if a disbeliever lives a pure life in this world, benefits people, conducts his business honestly, and does not participate in anti-Islamic activities, it is understandable that he receives the reward for his good deeds in this world and nothing in the Hereafter, but for what crime will he receive the punishment of Hell? The answer is that the fundamental crime for this punishment is something else: after Allah has completed the proof, not believing in Allah and the Day of Judgment. Such a person neither seeks Allah’s pleasure in any deed, nor does he thank Allah for His favors, nor can he observe the limits set by Allah. In fact, the paths of a believer and a non-believer become completely separate. The punishment of the Fire will be for these other crimes. The disbelievers of Makkah used to present this argument as well: “We feed travelers, raise orphans, care for the hungry, dig wells along the roads, plant shady trees, and do many other good deeds. The acceptance of these deeds is also proven, for it is because of such deeds that we flourish in the world, receive blessings in children and wealth, and enjoy peace and health. So this is enough for us; what need remains to follow the Quran?” In this verse, Allah has answered this argument of the disbelievers: We indeed give them a good reward for these good deeds in this world. As for the Hereafter, they neither believe in it nor do these deeds for the sake of reward in the Hereafter. Therefore, they will receive no reward for these deeds in the Hereafter, and the punishment will be because they are deniers of the Hereafter.