Tafsir of Surah Ar-Ra'd - Verse 18

Reward of the Blessed and Wretched Ones

Allah mentions the final destination of the blessed ones and the wretched ones,

لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُواْ لِرَبِّهِمُ

(For those who answered their Lord's call) obeyed Allah and followed His Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) by obeying his commands and believing in the narrations he brought about the past and the future, theirs will be,

الْحُسْنَى

(Al-Husna), which is the good reward. Allah said that Dhul-Qarnayn declared,

قَالَ أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَى رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَاباً نُّكْراً - وَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلَهُ جَزَآءً الْحُسْنَى وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْراً

(As for him who does wrong, we shall punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with a terrible torment (Hell). But as for him who believes and works righteousness, he shall have the best reward (Al-Husna), and we shall speak unto him mild words by our command)18: 87-88 Allah said in another Ayah,

لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ الْحُسْنَى وَزِيَادَةٌ

(For those who have done good is the best (Al-Husna) and even more.) 10: 26 Allah said next,

وَالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَهُ

(But those who answered not His call,) disobeyed Allah,

لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ مَّا فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعاً

(if they had all that is in the earth together) meaning, in the Hereafter. This Ayah says: Had the earth's fill of gold and its like with it, they would try to ransom themselves from Allah's torment at that time. However, this will not be accepted from them. Verily, Allah the Exalted will not accept any type of exchange from,

أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْحِسَـبِ

(For them there will be the terrible reckoning.) in the Hereafter, when they will be reckoned for the Naqir and the Qitmir, the big and the small. Verily, he who is reckoned in detail on that Day will receive punishment, hence Allah's statement next,

وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ

(Their dwelling place will be Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.)

أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَبِّكَ الْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَى إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُواْ الأَلْبَـبِ

Commentary

The outcome of both parables is that foam does appear prominent for a while on the real thing, but it finally gets to be thrown away and the real thing remains. Similar is the case of the false. Though the false may, for a short while, appear to have overcome the true, but the false is finally subdued and eliminated and that which is true remains and stands manifestly proven. (Tafsir A1-Jalalayn)

It is the law of God in this world that dirt and foam may emerge and surface for some time, but finally what receives a place here is that which gives benefit. In the Hereafter also, the same is true of human beings. In the world some people may be prominent due to some skill but, in the Hereafter, only those who possess real qualities will receive a higher status. People do not respond to the call for the Truth in this world because they always feel that, by advancing towards unadulterated Truth, they will lose worldly benefits. The rewards for ignoring the Truth which such people receive are invariably honour, popularity and prosperity in this world. They appear to be occupying seats of high status by rejecting the Truth. In the Hereafter, all these people will have been thrown out as like fast disappearing foam. And only those people will figure as prominent who surrendered themselves to the Truth, ignoring timely benefits. People give so much importance to worldly status and worldly benefits that they ignore the truth. In the Hereafter these things will appear unimportant to them, so much so that they would want to give this whole world and one more world equal to it, to ransom themselves from divine punishment.