Juz 21: Al-ʿAnkabūt 46 to Al-Aḥzāb 30
Section 13 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Believers' Characteristics and Rewards
After discussing the divine origin of the Quran and Allah's perfect creation, Surah As-Sajdah turns our attention to the stark contrast between believers and disbelievers, highlighting the distinctive qualities that characterize the faithful and the magnificent rewards awaiting them.
The surah presents the journey of human creation, from humble soil to the complex development in the womb, emphasizing Allah's perfect design in every stage. This discussion of creation naturally leads to the question of resurrection, with Allah asking rhetorically if those who deny it realize they will indeed meet their Lord. The resurrection is as certain as the original creation, despite the disbelievers' skepticism.
When describing the believers, Allah mentions specific attributes that distinguish them from others. In verse 15, we find one of the most beautiful descriptions of the faithful:
إِنَّمَا يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهَا خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَسَبَّحُوا بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
“Only those people believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded of them, fall in prostration and pronounce the purity, along with the praise of their Lord, and they do not wax proud.”
This verse contains a prostration command (sajdah), giving the surah its name. True believers are those who, when reminded of Allah's verses, immediately fall into prostration, submitting themselves fully to their Creator without a trace of arrogance. This physical act of worship symbolizes their complete surrender and humility before Allah.
Another distinctive characteristic of the believers follows in verse 16, perhaps one of the most moving descriptions of night worship in the Quran:
تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
“Their sides remain apart from their beds. They call their Lord with fear and hope, and spend from what We have given to them.”
This verse beautifully captures the essence of tahajjud prayer—believers who forsake the comfort of sleep to stand in worship before their Lord. They abandon their beds while others sleep, balancing fear of Allah's punishment with hope for His mercy. Additionally, they spend from what Allah has provided them, demonstrating their generosity and detachment from worldly possessions.
For these faithful believers who possess such noble qualities, Allah has prepared extraordinary rewards that transcend human imagination. Verse 17 presents this in remarkably evocative terms:
فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَّا أُخْفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
“So, no one knows what delight of the eyes has been kept hidden for them, as a reward for what they used to do.”
This verse reveals that the rewards awaiting the believers are beyond human comprehension—Allah has concealed these delights until the believers witness them in the Hereafter. The expression "delight of the eyes" (qurrata a'yun) conveys profound joy and satisfaction that brings tears of happiness. These hidden pleasures and joys of Paradise are the perfect recompense for their faith and righteous deeds.
The surah then poses a rhetorical question: can a believer be equal to a transgressor? The answer is emphatically negative—they can never be equal. While believers will enjoy the gardens of Paradise as hospitality for their good deeds, the transgressors will have the Fire as their abode. Whenever they try to escape it, they will be returned to it and told to taste the torment they used to deny.
This stark contrast between the eternal destinations emphasizes the justice of Allah and the importance of choosing faith and righteousness in this worldly life. The believers' patience in worship, their humility in prostration, and their charitable spending are rewarded with eternal bliss, while the arrogance and disbelief of the transgressors lead to eternal punishment.