Skip to content

Sahih MuslimCharacteristics of the Day of Judgment, Paradise, and Hell

Allah does not wrong a believer in a good deed; he will be given on account of it in this world and will be rewarded for it in the Hereafter

Chapter: The Believer Is Rewarded For His Good Deeds In This World, And In The Hereafter, And The Disbeliever Is Rewarded For His Good Deeds In This World

Authentic hadith of Sahih Muslim Sahih Muslim 2808a

Narrator:Anas ibn Mālik

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِزُهَيْرٍ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَخْبَرَنَا هَمَّامُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ مُؤْمِنًا حَسَنَةً يُعْطَى بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَيُجْزَى بِهَا فِي الآخِرَةِ وَأَمَّا الْكَافِرُ فَيُطْعَمُ بِحَسَنَاتِ مَا عَمِلَ بِهَا لِلَّهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى إِذَا أَفْضَى إِلَى الآخِرَةِ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ يُجْزَى بِهَا ‏"

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Allah does not wrong a believer in a good deed; he will be given on account of it in this world and will be rewarded for it in the Hereafter. As for the disbeliever, he will be given the reward for the good deeds he has not performed for the sake of Allah in this world, and when he comes to the Hereafter, there will be no good deed for which he can be rewarded."

Reported by Muslim (No. 2808a).

Copy
Copy:
Report an error

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrates the great favor of Allah towards the believers and His justice towards the disbelievers. As for the believer, He does not diminish the reward of any good deed he performs. Rather, He gives him a reward for it in this world in return for his obedience, in addition to the reward He keeps in store for him in the Hereafter. He may also keep the whole reward for him in the Hereafter. As for the disbeliever, Allah gives him the reward for his virtuous deeds in the form of good things in this life. But when he goes to the Hereafter, he will have no reward. This is because the good deed that brings benefit in this world and in the Hereafter must be performed by a believer.

Lessons

  • If a person dies as a disbeliever, his good deeds will not avail him.

Explanation in Arabic

يبين النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم عظيم فضل الله على المؤمنين، وعدله مع الكافرين.

فأما المؤمن فلا ينقص ثواب حسنة عملها؛ بل يعطى بها في الدنيا حسنة على طاعته، مع ما يُدَّخر له من الجزاء في الآخرة؛ وقد يحفظ الجزاء كله له في الآخرة.

وأما الكافر فيعطيه الله جزاء ما عمل من الحسنات بحسنات الدنيا، حتى إذا أفضى إلى الآخرة لم يكن له فيها ثواب يجزى بها؛ لأن العمل الصالح الذي ينفع في الدارين لا بد أن يكون صاحبه مؤمنًا.

  • أنَّ مَن ماتَ على الكُفرِ لا يَنفَعُه عَملٌ.

Classical commentary

An-Nawawi — Sharh Sahih Muslim

قَوْله صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ( إِنَّ اللَّه لَا يَظْلِم مُؤْمِنًا حَسَنَة يُعْطِي بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَيُجْزَى بِهَا فِي الْآخِرَة وَأَمَّا الْكَافِر فَيُطْعَم بِحَسَنَاتِ مَا عَمِلَ بِهَا لِلَّهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى إِذَا أَفْضَى إِلَى الْآخِرَة لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ حَسَنَة يُجْزَى بِهَا ) وَفِي رِوَايَة : ( إِنَّ الْكَافِر إِذَا عَمِلَ حَسَنَة أُطْعِمَ بِهَا طُعْمَة مِنْ الدُّنْيَا , وَأَمَّا الْمُؤْمِن فَإِنَّ اللَّه تَعَالَى يَدَّخِر لَهُ حَسَنَاته فِي الْآخِرَة , وَيُعْقِبهُ رِزْقًا فِي الدُّنْيَا عَلَى طَاعَته ). أَجْمَعَ الْعُلَمَاء عَلَى أَنَّ الْكَافِر الَّذِي مَاتَ عَلَى كُفْره لَا ثَوَاب لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَة , وَلَا يُجَازَى فِيهَا بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عَمَله فِي الدُّنْيَا ,…

Read more

Scholars’ grades

Grade taken from the status of the collection (Sahih Muslim).

Other versions

Not graded Riyad as-Salihin 428

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When an infidel accomplishes any good deed, he is rewarded for it in this world; and in the case of a Muslim, Allah stores up his good acts for him in the Hereafter and provides him with subsistence in this life due to his obedience." Another narration is: Messenger of…

وعن أنس، رضي الله عنه ،عن رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال‏:‏ ‏"‏إن الكافر إذا عمل حسنة، أطعم بها طعمة من الدنيا، أما المؤمن، فإن الله تعالى يدخر له حسناته في الآخرة، ويعقبه رزقاً في الدنيا على طاعته‏"‏‏.‏ وفي…

Also reported by… (1)
  • المحلى بالآثار لابن حزم (24)اللَّهَ لا يَظْلِمُ مُؤْمِنًا حَسَنَةً يُعْطَى بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَيُجْزَى بِهَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ ، وَأَمَّا الْكَافِرُ فَيُعْطَى بِحِسَابِ مَا عَمِلَ بِهَا لِلَّهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى إِذَا أَفْضَى إِلَى الْآخِرَةِ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ يُجْزَى بِهَا

On the same subject

Topics