Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 97 (16:97)

ٱلنَّحْل

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَٰلِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ …

Quran 16:97 is ayah 97 of Surah An-Nahl (“The Bee”), a Meccan surah of 128 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 278 of the Madani Mushaf.

16:97
مَنْعَمِلَصَٰلِحًامِّنذَكَرٍأَوْأُنثَىٰوَهُوَمُؤْمِنٌفَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥحَيَوٰةًطَيِّبَةً ۖوَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْأَجْرَهُمبِأَحْسَنِمَاكَانُوا۟يَعْمَلُونَ٩٧
man ʿamila ṣāliḥan min dhakarin aw unthā wahuwa mu'minun falanuḥ'yiyannahu ḥayatan ṭayyibatan walanajziyannahum ajrahum bi-aḥsani mā kānū yaʿmalūna

Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.(97)

Word by word

  1. مَنْmanWhoever
  2. عَمِلَʿamiladoes
  3. صَٰلِحًاṣāliḥanrighteous deeds
  4. مِّنminwhether
  5. ذَكَرٍdhakarinmale
  6. أَوْawor
  7. أُنثَىٰunthāfemale
  8. وَهُوَwahuwawhile he
  9. مُؤْمِنٌmu'minun(is) a believer
  10. فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥfalanuḥ'yiyannahuthen surely We will give him life
  11. حَيَوٰةًḥayatana life
  12. طَيِّبَةً ۖṭayyibatangood
  13. وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْwalanajziyannahumand We will pay them
  14. أَجْرَهُمajrahumtheir reward
  15. بِأَحْسَنِbi-aḥsanito (the) best
  16. مَاmāof what
  17. كَانُوا۟kānūthey used (to)
  18. يَعْمَلُونَyaʿmalūnado

Tafsir (commentary) of 16:97

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Righteous Deeds and their Reward

This is a promise from Allah to those Children of Adam, male or female, who do righteous deeds - deeds in accordance with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet , with a heart that believes in Allah and His Messenger , while believing that these deeds are commanded and enjoined by Allah. Allah promises that He will give them a good life in this world and that He will reward them according to the best of their deeds in the Hereafter. The good life includes feeling tranquillity in all aspects of life. It has been reported that Ibn `Abbas and a group (of scholars) interpreted it to mean good, lawful provisions. It was reported that `Ali bin Abi Talib interpreted as contentment. This was also the opinion of Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah and Wahb bin Munabbih. `Ali bin Abi Talhah recorded from Ibn `Abbas that it meant happiness. Al-Hasan, Mujahid and Qatadah said: "None gets this good life mentioned except in Paradise." Ad-Dahhak said: "It means lawful provisions and worship in this life". Ad-Dahhak also said: "It means working to obey Allah and finding joy in that." The correct view is that a good life includes all of these things. as found in the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad from `Abdullah bin `Amr that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ، وَرُزِقَ كَفَافًا، وَقَنَّعَهُ اللهُ بِمَا آتَاه»

(He who submits becomes a Muslim has succeeded, is given sufficient provisions, and is content with Allah for what he is given.) It was also recorded by Muslim.

فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْءَانَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ الرَّجِيمِ

Read the full Surah An-Nahl