Surah 18

Surah 18:46

"Wealth and sons are the (passing) splendor of this present life, but the things that endure – righteous deeds – are better in reward with your Lord, and better in hope."
Tafsir Ibn Kathir Verses 18:46
Show Full Scripture Context (18:46) — 1 Verse
Verse 46

ٱلۡمَالُ وَٱلۡبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَٱلۡبَٰقِيَٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتُ خَيۡرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابٗا وَخَيۡرٌ أَمَلٗا

Wealth and sons are the (passing) splendor of this present life, but the things that endure – righteous deeds – are better in reward with your Lord, and better in hope.

Imam Ahmad also recorded from a freed slave of the Messenger of Allah sjg that he said:

« We// done! Well done for five things! (Hoiv heavy they will weigh in the balance! "La ildha illalldh, Allahu Akbar, Subhdn Allah, and Al-Haitidu Lilldh," and a righteous son zvho dies and his parents seek the rezvard of Allah.* And he said: “We// done! Well done for five things! Whoever meets Allah believing in them, he zoill enter Paradise; if he believes in Allah, the Last Day, Paradise and Hell, resurrection after death, and the Reckoning* P*

ithe good righteous deeds that last,) ‘Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “This is the celebration of the remembrance of Allah, saying ‘Ld ildha illalldh, Allahu Akbar, Subhdn Allah, Al-Hamdu Lilldh, Tabarak Allah, Ld hawla wa la quwwata ilia billah, Astaghfirallah , Sallalldhu ‘aid Rasul-Allah’, and fasting, prayer, Hajj, Sadaqah (charity), freeing slaves, Jihad, maintaining ties of kinship, and all other good deeds. These are the righteous good deeds that last, which will remain in Paradise for those who do them for as long as heaven and earth remain .” 131 Al-‘AwfI reported from Ibn ‘Abbas: “They are good words.”'

‘Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, “They are all righteous deeds.” 121 This was also the view chosen by Ibn Jarir, may Allah have mercy on him.

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.