Surah 18

Surah 18:30

"Surely those who believe and do righteous deeds – surely We do not allow the reward of anyone who does a good deed to go to waste."
The Reward of those Who believe and do Righteous Deeds Verses 18:30-31
Show Full Scripture Context (18:30-31) — 2 Verses
Verse 30

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ مَنۡ أَحۡسَنَ عَمَلًا

Surely those who believe and do righteous deeds – surely We do not allow the reward of anyone who does a good deed to go to waste.

Verse 31

أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتُ عَدۡنٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهِمُ ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ يُحَلَّوۡنَ فِيهَا مِنۡ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٖ وَيَلۡبَسُونَ ثِيَابًا خُضۡرٗا مِّن سُندُسٖ وَإِسۡتَبۡرَقٖ مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ فِيهَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِۚ نِعۡمَ ٱلثَّوَابُ وَحَسُنَتۡ مُرۡتَفَقٗا

Those – for them (there are) Gardens of Eden through which rivers flow. There they will be adorned with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green clothes of silk and brocade, reclining there on couches. Excellent is the reward, and good the resting place!

When Allah mentions the state of those who are doomed, He follows that by mentioning the blessed who believed in Allah and believed what His Messengers brought, and did the righteous deeds that they were commanded to do.

Quoted Scripture
"certainly We shall not make the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner to be lost."

"These! For them will be 'Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens);"

"wherein rivers flow beneath them;"

means, from beneath its rooms and dwellings. Fir'awn said:

Quoted Scripture
"and these rivers flowing beneath me..."

{they will be adorned} means, with jewelry.

Quoted Scripture
"with bracelets of gold,"

Allah says elsewhere:

{and pearls and their garments therein will be of silk} (22:23).
This is explained in more detail here, where Allah says:

Quoted Scripture
"and they will wear green garments of Sundus and Istabraq."

Sundus refers to a fine garment, like a shirt and the like, and Istabraq is thick and shiny velvet.

Quoted Scripture
"They will be Muttaki'in therein on Ara'ik."

The word Muttaki'in implies lying down, or it was said that it means sitting with one's legs crossed, which is closer to the meaning here. In a Sahih Hadith, the Prophet said:

"As for me, I do not eat sitting with legs crossed (Muttaki'an)".

Ara'ik is the plural of Arikah, which is a bed under a canopy. And Allah knows best.

Quoted Scripture
"How good is the reward, and what an excellent place of rest (Murtafaq)!"

means, how blessed is Paradise as a reward for their good deeds. And what an excellent Murtafaq means, and how good a place to dwell and rest and stay. Previously, Allah had said of Hell,

{Terrible is the drink, and an evil place of rest (Murtafaq)!} [18:29].

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Page 148-149)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.