وَيَزِيدُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱهۡتَدَوۡاْ هُدٗىۗ وَٱلۡبَٰقِيَٰتُ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتُ خَيۡرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابٗا وَخَيۡرٞ مَّرَدًّا
[17]. The “everlasting righteous deeds” (al-bāqiyāt al-ṣāliḥāt) refer to all good actions that endure in reward — foremost among them are the words of remembrance (dhikr): Subḥān Allāh, Al-Ḥamdu li-llāh, Lā ilāha illā Allāh, Allāhu Akbar.
They also encompass every act of sincerity and obedience that draws a person nearer to Allāh.
These deeds never perish, while worldly wealth and power vanish; hence, they are “better in reward and better in return.”
What Allāh reminds us here is that we should not get caught up in the pursuit of worldly rewards at the expense of the Hereafter. We should work for success in both, keeping in mind that the rewards of this world are transient and those of the Hereafter are eternal. Allāh emphasizes the quality of permanence, drawing our attention to how it contrasts with worldly blessings like wealth and children. Once this contrast is established strongly in our minds, we are then informed of the way we can attain these permanent blessings – by engaging in acts of righteousness. Nothing causes worry for human beings more than the loss of what we have, the loss of wealth, of health, and the inevitable loss of youth. There is no stronger context, then, for us to be reminded of the enduring value of our good deeds.
Maryam
