Al-Hajj · Madani · ayah 50 of 78

Al-Hajj 22:50

فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ

“And those who have believed and done righteous deeds - for them is forgiveness and noble provision.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Those whose belief reached their deeds are promised two gifts in a fixed order: first their record covered, then a provision that honours them.

A reflection

Forgiveness named before the feast

The order of the two gifts deserves a slow look. Those who believed and did righteous deeds receive forgiveness, maghfira, and only then generous provision. Forgiveness comes first, even for the people of good deeds.

Why would they need it? The commentaries give two answers. One is forgiveness for the slips that still came from them now and then. Such slips do not cancel their being people of good deeds. The other is forgiveness for everything that came before their faith. A narration-based commentary adds a lovely balance: forgiveness for their past bad deeds, and a generous return for their few good ones.

The root of maghfira is established in the lexicons as covering. The sin is hidden, not exposed. The one who sinned is shielded, as a helmet shields the head. So the first thing waiting for the righteous is not applause. It is a covering over the parts of their record they would rather no one read.

A final-year student finishes her last exam and goes to collect her certificate. The office tells her there is a hold on her account. Two years of library fines, forgotten, have quietly added up. No clearance, no certificate. Before she can find her purse, the registrar taps a key. 'Waived. Congratulations.' Only then is the certificate handed over.

The certificate was the point. But the waiver came first, and without it nothing else could be given.

That is the humility built into the ayah. No one walks into the generous provision with a spotless account. Even the most devoted arrive needing their record covered. The people of good deeds are not people with nothing to forgive. They are people who kept turning back, and whose turning back was accepted.

There is relief here for anyone who does good and still feels unworthy. The ayah expected that feeling. It answers it with its very first gift.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.