An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 122 of 176

An-Nisa 4:122

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ۖ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقًّا ۚ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ قِيلًا

“But the ones who believe and do righteous deeds - We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. [It is] the promise of Allāh, [which is] truth, and who is more truthful than Allāh in statement.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Against Satan's empty promises stands Allah's: gardens with flowing rivers, forever, for those who believe and do good; no one is truer in speech.

A reflection

Who is more truthful than Allah in speech?

The ayah ends with a question that needs no answer. Wa-man aṣdaqu mina Allāhi qīlā: and who is more truthful than Allah in speech?

Classical commentators count three layers of emphasis in the closing words. 'The promise of Allah'. 'In truth'. Then the question itself. Why so much? To answer Satan's lying promises, they say, which the previous ayat described. One voice promised delusion. This voice swears by its own truthfulness.

The root of ṣidq in the lexicons means strength. A spear that was ṣadq was hard and sound. Truth is called ṣidq because it holds; a lie has nothing inside to hold with.

Now turn it on ourselves. How strong is our word? We say we will definitely be there. We say this is the last time. We say next week, without fail. The ego loves to speak as if the future were in its pocket. The Quran gently corrects that habit: never say 'I will do it tomorrow' without 'if Allah wills' (18:23-24). Only One speaker can promise without that clause.

Picture a ten-year-old whose father has said 'next weekend' about the same fishing trip for two years. The boy has stopped asking. One day a teacher tells the class that Allah never breaks a promise. The boy is quiet for a long time. Then he asks: 'Never? Not even once?'

Does Allah need to assert His truthfulness? No. He is free of all need (35:15). The question is asked for people like that boy: people worn out by broken promises who need one word strong enough to stand on.

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.