Surah Al-Kahf 18:103
سُورَةُ الكَهۡفِ · Meccan · Verse 103 of 110
قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَٰلًا
Translation
Say [Prophet], ‘Shall we tell you who has the most to lose by their actions,
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in their deeds?' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note the arresting question that introduces the Surah's most sobering warning, 'al-akhsarina a'malan', those who lose the most precisely in the realm of their deeds, where they thought they were gaining. Ask yourself: the framing grips me, not the greatest losers in wealth or reputation, but in deeds, in the very thing they were counting as their success. It warns of a loss so deep it hides inside apparent achievement. Before the next verse names them, the question alone unsettles: is it possible to be busily accomplishing, and be the biggest loser of all? It refuses to let me assume that mere activity, effort, or 'good works' guarantee I'm on the right side of the ledger. Am I sure the deeds I'm banking on are actually counting, or could I be a candidate for this terrible category without knowing it?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Kahf 18:103 is discussed in 10 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Kahf 18:103 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.