بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-'Ankabut 29:6
The Spider · Juz 20 · Page 396
وَمَن جَٰهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَٰهِدُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنِ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٦
And whoever strives only strives for [the benefit of] himself. Indeed, Allāh is Free from need of the worlds.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 29:5–7
Allah will fulfill the Hopes of the Righteous Allah's saying;
مَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَآءَ اللَّهِ
(Whoever hopes in meeting with Allah,) means, in the Hereafter, and does righteous deeds, and hopes for a great reward with Allah, then Allah will fulfill his hopes and reward him for his deeds in full. This will undoubtedly come to pass, for He is the One Who hears all supplications, He knows and understands the needs of all created beings. Allah says:
مَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَآءَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ لآتٍ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
(Whoever hopes in meeting with Allah, then Allah's term is surely coming, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.)
وَمَن جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِ
(And whosoever strives, he strives only for himself.) This is like the Ayah,
مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَلِحاً فَلِنَفْسِهِ
(Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for himself) (41:46). Whoever does a righteous deed, the benefit of that deed will come back to him, for Allah has no need of the deeds of His servants, and even if all of them were to be as pious as the most pious man among them, that would not add to His dominion in the slightest. Allah says:
وَمَن جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِىٌّ عَنِ الْعَلَمِينَ
(And whosoever strives, he strives only for himself. Verily, Allah stands not in need of any of the creatures.) Then Allah tells us that even though He has no need of His creatures, He is kind and generous to them. He will still give to those who believe and do righteous deeds the best of rewards, which is that He will expiate for them their bad deeds, and will reward them according to the best deeds that they did. He will accept the fewest good deeds and in return for one good deed will give anything between ten rewards and seven hundred, but for every bad deed, He will give only one evil merit, or even that He may overlook and forgive. This is like the Ayah,
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْراً عَظِيماً
(Surely, Allah wrongs not even the weight of a speck of dust, but if there is any good, He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward.) (4:40). And He says here:
وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّلِحَتِ لَنُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَحْسَنَ الَّذِى كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ
(Those who believe, and do righteous good deeds, surely, We shall expiate from them their evil deeds and We shall indeed reward them according to the best of that which they used to do.)
Page 396
28:85
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِي فَرَضَ عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لَرَآدُّكَ إِلَىٰ مَعَادٖۚ قُل رَّبِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ مَن جَآءَ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَمَنۡ هُوَ فِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٖ ٨٥
Indeed, [O Muḥammad], He who imposed upon you the Qur’ān will take you back to a place of return.1 Say, "My Lord is most knowing of who brings guidance and who is in clear error."
1 translator’s note
- Meaning to Makkah (in this life) or to Paradise (in the Hereafter). ↩
28:86
وَمَا كُنتَ تَرۡجُوٓاْ أَن يُلۡقَىٰٓ إِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبُ إِلَّا رَحۡمَةٗ مِّن رَّبِّكَۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ ظَهِيرٗا لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٨٦
And you were not expecting that the Book would be conveyed to you, but [it is] a mercy from your Lord. So do not be an assistant to the disbelievers.1
1 translator’s note
- In their religion by making any concessions to their beliefs. ↩
28:87
وَلَا يَصُدُّنَّكَ عَنۡ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ بَعۡدَ إِذۡ أُنزِلَتۡ إِلَيۡكَۖ وَٱدۡعُ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَۖ وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ٨٧
And never let them avert you from the verses of Allāh after they have been revealed to you. And invite [people] to your Lord. And never be of those who associate others with Allāh.
28:88
وَلَا تَدۡعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَۘ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ كُلُّ شَيۡءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجۡهَهُۥۚ لَهُ ٱلۡحُكۡمُ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ ٨٨
And do not invoke with Allāh another deity. There is no deity except Him. Everything will be destroyed except His Face.1 His is the judgement, and to Him you will be returned.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., except Himself. ↩
29:1
الٓمٓ ١
Alif, Lām, Meem.1
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
29:2
أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتۡرَكُوٓاْ أَن يَقُولُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمۡ لَا يُفۡتَنُونَ ٢
Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried?
29:3
وَلَقَدۡ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۖ فَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱلۡكَٰذِبِينَ ٣
But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allāh will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars.
29:4
أَمۡ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن يَسۡبِقُونَاۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ ٤
Or do those who do evil deeds think they can outrun [i.e., escape] Us? Evil is what they judge.
29:5
مَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ لِقَآءَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ ٱللَّهِ لَأٓتٖۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٥
Whoever should hope for the meeting with Allāh - indeed, the term [decreed by] Allāh is coming. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
29:6
وَمَن جَٰهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَٰهِدُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنِ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٦
And whoever strives only strives for [the benefit of] himself. Indeed, Allāh is Free from need of the worlds.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy