Аль-Кахф 18:103–109

Who are those referred to as: الْأَخْسَرِ‌ينَ أَعْمَالًا (The greatest losers in respect of [ their ] deeds - 103)? At this place, the first two verses (101, 102) are, in terms of their general sense, inclusive of every individual or group that would put in a lot of effort in some deeds taking them to be good, but with Allah their effort is ruined and their deed, wasted. Al-Qurtubi said that this situation is caused due to two things. One: Corruption in Belief. Two: Hypocrisy. It means that a person whose very Belief and Faith is not correct - no matter how good he is in his deeds and how painstaking in his effort - will find all this useless and wasted in the Hereafter.

Similarly, the deed of anyone who acts for the pleasure of the created by way of hypocrisy, that deed too will remain deprived of thawab (reward). It is in terms of this general sense that some revered Sahabah have declared the Kharjites as the substantiation of this verse. Then, there are some commentators who take the Mu'tazilah, the Rawafid and some others as the groups who have strayed away from the straight path. But, in the next verse (105), it has been determined that meant at this place are those particular disbelievers who deny the verses of Allah Ta’ ala and the coming of Qiyamah and Akhirah. It was said: الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا بِآيَاتِ رَ‌بِّهِمْ وَلِقَائِهِ (Those are the ones who disbelieved in the signs of their Lord and in the meeting with Him). Therefore, al-Qurtubi, Abu Hayyan, Mazhari and others prefer the view that really meant at this place are particular disbelievers who deny Allah, the Last Day and the Reckoning of deeds. But, apparently too, even those people whose deeds were ruined by their corrupted beliefs and whose effort had gone waste cannot remain unaffected by its general sense. As for the related sayings re-ported from Sayyidna ` Ali and Sa` d ؓ ، this is precisely what they mean. (Qurtubi)

The last sentence in the same verse (105): فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا (and We shall not assign to them any weight) means that their deeds may appear to be great outwardly, but when placed on the balance of reckoning, they will carry no weight. The reason is that these deeds will be of no use and will not carry any weight because of kufr (disbelief) and shirk (ascribing of partners to Allah).

According to a Hadith of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ appearing in the Sahih of al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: On the day of Qiyamah, there will come a tall and heavy man who, in the sight of Allah, will not be worth the weight of a mosquito.' Then he said: 'If you wish to verify it, recite this verse of the Qur'an: فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا (and We shall not assign to them any weight).'

Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri says: ' (on the day of Qiyamah) deeds as big as the mountains of Tihamah will be brought in. But, they will carry no weight on the balance of justice.' (Qurtubi)

The word: الْفِرْ‌دَوْسِ (al-Firdaus) in: جَنَّاتُ الْفِرْ‌دَوْسِ (Gardens of Firdaus) means a verdant valley full of fruits and flowers - with reference to Paradise. However, difference exists as to the origin of this word. Is it Arabic, or is it non-Arabic? Those who call it non-Arabic have to refine it further. Is it Persian or Greco-Roman or Syriac? There are different views about this.

It appears in the Sahih of al-Bukhari and Muslim that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'when you ask of Allah, ask for Jannatul-Firdaus because it is the highest and the superior most rank of Jannah. Above it, there is the Throne of the Rahman and from it issue forth all streams of .Jannah.' (Qurtubi)

The purpose of the last sentence: لَا يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلًا (and will not wish to move from there - 108) is to tell that this station of Jannah is a never-ending, ever-lasting blessing for them. The reason is that Allah Ta’ ala has promulgated His command to the effect that whoever has entered Jannah will never be expelled from there. But, there was the possibility of some doubt crossing someone's heart, for human beings naturally get fed up by living at one place. They wish to move out and go to other places. Now, if they were not allowed to go elsewhere out of Jannah, they might start feeling the pinch of a sort of restriction. This was answered in the verse by saying that taking Jannah on the analogy of other places is rank ignorance. Once a person goes into the Jannah, everything he saw and lived within the mortal world would find all that trifling in the presence of the bliss and beauty of Jannah and - so blessed in that manner - no one would ever even think of going out of here.