Al-Ahzab · Madani · ayah 31 of 73

Al-Ahzab 33:31

۞ وَمَن يَقْنُتْ مِنكُنَّ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَتَعْمَلْ صَـٰلِحًا نُّؤْتِهَآ أَجْرَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهَا رِزْقًا كَرِيمًا

“And whoever of you devoutly obeys Allāh and His Messenger and does righteousness - We will give her her reward twice; and We have prepared for her a noble provision.”

Saheeh International

Essence

For steady devotion and good deeds, Allah Himself promises a reward given twice, and a generous provision already waiting.

A reflection

When the Giver signs His name

Put this ayah beside the one before it, and a quiet difference appears.

In the warning, the verb has no named subject. 'The punishment will be doubled for her.' Doubled by whom? The sentence does not say. In the promise, the subject steps forward. 'We will give her her reward twice.' Allah names Himself, in the plural of majesty, as the One who gives.

One commentary notices this and draws the lesson. The generous show themselves in giving benefit, and do not mention themselves in causing harm. Another adds more. The reward is called 'her reward', joined to her by name, while the punishment had nothing so personal. And the promise says 'twice' rather than 'doubled', as kindness repeated, which is sweeter. Whoever reads the two sentences side by side, it says, will see mercy outweighing anger.

Think of a grandmother who refuses to send birthday money by bank transfer. Every year she posts a card instead, with the notes folded inside and her shaky handwriting on the envelope. The money would arrive faster electronically. But she knows that the name on the gift is part of the gift. The child keeps the cards long after the money is spent.

That is what this grammar does. Allah does not need to sign His name to anything. Yet when He speaks of reward, He signs it. He wants the one who receives it to know exactly whose hand it came from.

This has a practical edge. When good things reach you, try tracing them back to the signature. Not 'it worked out', but 'He gave'. And when you yourself give, borrow the pattern. Put your warmth into the good you do, and keep your name quietly out of the hard things you must say.

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.