An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 152 of 176

An-Nisa 4:152

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَلَمْ يُفَرِّقُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ سَوْفَ يُؤْتِيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

“But they who believe in Allāh and His messengers and do not discriminate between any of them - to those He is going to give their rewards. And ever is Allāh Forgiving and Merciful.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Those who receive every messenger as one family from one Lord are promised their reward without fail, and covered by forgiveness and mercy besides.

A reflection

Even the ones who got it right need covering

After two ayat of warning, this one turns to the believers. They accepted every messenger. They made no distinction. They are promised their rewards.

And then, surprisingly, the ayah ends with forgiveness. 'Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.'

Why mention forgiveness to the people who believed correctly? One classical theologian explains it simply. Allah promised them reward, then told them He would also pass over their misdeeds and pardon them. Another commentary adds that He forgives what went before, and multiplies their good deeds beyond what was promised.

That ending quietly humbles the ego. It would be easy, after hearing others condemned, to feel superior. We are the ones who got it right. The ayah answers: you too will need covering. Your reward is not a wage earned by being better than someone. It is a gift from the Forgiving, laid over a life full of gaps.

Notice also what the believers are not called. The previous ayah said 'those are the disbelievers, truly'. One commentary observes that the matching title, 'the believers, truly', is not given here. The ayah is content to say what they will receive. No badge, no ranking. Just a promise, and a mercy.

Picture a young architect applauded at the opening of a library she designed. She smiles, but she knows something the audience does not. Months earlier her supervisor found an error in her load calculations, corrected it quietly, and never mentioned it again.

She deserved some credit. She also knows exactly whose care holds the roof up.

That is the believer's posture before Allah. Grateful for the reward. Humbled by the covering beneath it.

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.