سُوْرَةُ المُطَفِّفِيْنَ
Surah Al-Mutaffifin (83) — Ayah 18
كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَـٰبَ ٱلْأَبْرَارِ لَفِى عِلِّيِّينَ ﴿18﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Nay! Verily, the Record (writing of the deeds) of Al-Abrâr (the pious believers of Islamic Monotheism) is (preserved) in ‘Illiyyûn
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كَلَّآ
kallā
Nay
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
كِتَـٰبَ
kitāba
(the) record
ٱلْأَبْرَارِ
l-abrāri
(of) the righteous
لَفِى
lafī
(will be) surely in
عِلِّيِّينَ
ʿilliyyīna
Illiyin
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
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.
18. No! Indeed, the record of the righteous [12] is in 'Illiyyin, the register of the exalted. [13]
[12]
The Literal Meaning of ﴿فاجر﴾ and ﴿ابرار﴾:
Here, the word "Abrar" is used in contrast to ﴿فجار﴾. The meaning of ﴿فَجَرَ﴾ is to tear something open widely, and ﴿فجر﴾ is called ﴿فجر﴾ because it appears across the entire sky. A "Fajir" is a person who disobeys the religion on a large scale, remains constantly engrossed in sins, and does not repent from them. In contrast to this is "Abrar." "Birr" means goodness, good deeds, and "barr" means a vast dry land; thus, the word "barr" also carries the concept of vastness in addition to goodness. And "birr" in fact does not refer to a single act of goodness, but to the trait of always being inclined towards goodness, so that whenever an opportunity for a good deed arises, it is immediately carried out. "Barr" is the person who possesses such a trait, and its plural is "Abrar."
[13] That is, just as "Sijjin" is the prison of the souls of the wicked and the register where their records of deeds are kept, similarly, ﴿عليين﴾ is the abode of the souls of the Abrar, and their records of deeds are preserved at this place. According to the saying of some of the predecessors, this place is above the seven heavens. ﴿والله اعلم بالصواب﴾
[12]
The Literal Meaning of ﴿فاجر﴾ and ﴿ابرار﴾:
Here, the word "Abrar" is used in contrast to ﴿فجار﴾. The meaning of ﴿فَجَرَ﴾ is to tear something open widely, and ﴿فجر﴾ is called ﴿فجر﴾ because it appears across the entire sky. A "Fajir" is a person who disobeys the religion on a large scale, remains constantly engrossed in sins, and does not repent from them. In contrast to this is "Abrar." "Birr" means goodness, good deeds, and "barr" means a vast dry land; thus, the word "barr" also carries the concept of vastness in addition to goodness. And "birr" in fact does not refer to a single act of goodness, but to the trait of always being inclined towards goodness, so that whenever an opportunity for a good deed arises, it is immediately carried out. "Barr" is the person who possesses such a trait, and its plural is "Abrar."
[13] That is, just as "Sijjin" is the prison of the souls of the wicked and the register where their records of deeds are kept, similarly, ﴿عليين﴾ is the abode of the souls of the Abrar, and their records of deeds are preserved at this place. According to the saying of some of the predecessors, this place is above the seven heavens. ﴿والله اعلم بالصواب﴾
