Surah 37

Surah 37:39

"and you will not be repaid (for anything) except what you have done.’"
The Punishment of the Idolators and the Reward of the sincere Believers Verses 37:38-49
Show Full Scripture Context (37:38-49) — 12 Verses
Verse 38

إِنَّكُمۡ لَذَآئِقُواْ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَلِيمِ

Justice you will indeed taste the painful punishment,

Verse 39

وَمَا تُجۡزَوۡنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ

and you will not be repaid (for anything) except what you have done.’

Verse 40

إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ

– Except for the devoted servants of God.

Verse 41

أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ رِزۡقٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ

Those – for them (there will be) a known provision

Verse 42

فَوَٰكِهُ وَهُم مُّكۡرَمُونَ

(of) fruits, and they will be honored

Verse 43

فِي جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

in Gardens of Bliss,

Verse 44

عَلَىٰ سُرُرٖ مُّتَقَٰبِلِينَ

on couches, facing each other,

Verse 45

يُطَافُ عَلَيۡهِم بِكَأۡسٖ مِّن مَّعِينِۭ

(and) a cup from a flowing spring will be passed around among them –

Verse 46

بَيۡضَآءَ لَذَّةٖ لِّلشَّـٰرِبِينَ

white, delicious to the drinkers,

Verse 47

لَا فِيهَا غَوۡلٞ وَلَا هُمۡ عَنۡهَا يُنزَفُونَ

(there is) no ill effect in it, nor do they become drunk from it.

Verse 48

وَعِندَهُمۡ قَٰصِرَٰتُ ٱلطَّرۡفِ عِينٞ

With them (there will be maidens) restraining (their) glances, wide-eyed,

Verse 49

كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيۡضٞ مَّكۡنُونٞ

as if they were hidden eggs.

Allah says, addressing the people:

“Verily, you are going to taste the painful torment; and you will be requited nothing except for what you used to do.”

Then He makes an exception in the case of His sincerely believing servants. This is like the Ayat.

“By the Time. Verily, man is in loss, Except those who believe and do righteous deeds...” (103:1-3),

“Verily, We created man in the best stature. Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low. Save those who believe and do righteous deeds” (95:4-6).

“There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is with your Lord, a decree which must be accomplished. Then We shall save those who have Taqwa. And We shall leave the wrongdoers therein to their knees.” (19:71-72); and

“Every person is a pledge for what he has earned, except those on the right” (74:38-39).

Allah says here:

“Save the chosen servants of Allah.” meaning, they will not taste the painful torment nor will they be brought to account. Their evil acts, if there are any, will be overlooked, and each good deed will be rewarded in multiples of between ten and seven hundred, or as much as Allah wills.

“For them there will be a known provision,” Qatadah and As-Suddi said, “This means Paradise.” It is explained further in the next Ayah:

“Fruits” meaning, of different kinds.

“and they shall be honored,” means, they will be served and will live a life of luxury.

“In the Gardens of Delight, facing one another on thrones.”

Mujahid said, “One of them will not look at one another’s backs.”

“Round them will be passed a cup of pure wine - white, delicious to the drinkers. Neither will they have Ghawl from that nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom.”

This is like the Ayah:

“Immortal boys will go around them (serving), with cups, and jugs, and a glass of flowing wine, from which they will get neither any aching of the head nor any intoxication.” (56:17-19).

Allah refined the wine of Paradise from the bad effects of the wine of this world, which causes headaches and stomach aches - which is the meaning of Ghawl - causing people to lose their minds completely. So He says here:

“Round them will be passed a cup of pure wine”

meaning, wine from a flowing stream which they do not fear will ever be cut off or cease. Malik narrated that Zayd bin Aslam said, “White flowing wine,” meaning, with a bright, shining color, unlike the wine of this world with its ugly, repulsive colors of red, black, yellow and turbid shades, and other features which are repugnant to anyone of a sound nature.

“delicious to the drinkers.” means, its taste will be as good as its color, and a good taste indicates that it has a good smell, unlike the wine of this world.

“Neither will they have Ghawl from that”

means, it will not have any effects on them such as causing stomach aches. This was the view of Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd. This is unlike the wine of this world, which causes colic and so on, because it is too watery.

“nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom.”

Mujahid said, “It will not cause them to lose their minds.” This was also the view of Ibn ‘Abbas, Muhammad bin Ka'b, Al-Hasan. ‘Ata’ bin Abi Muslim Al-Khurasani, As-Suddi and others. Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn Abbas said, “Wine causes four things: intoxication, headache, vomiting and urine.” So, when Allah mentions the wine of Paradise, He states that it is free of these characteristics, as mentioned in Surat As-Saffat.

“And beside them will be Qasirat At-Tarf”

means, chaste females, who will not look at anyone other than their husbands, as Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid, Zayd bin Aslam, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others said.

“with (wide and beautiful) eyes” means, with beautiful eyes. It was also said that it means with wide eyes, which is connected to the first meaning. They are wide-eyed and beautiful, and their eyes are described as being beautiful and chaste.

“as if they were Bayd Maknun.”

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.