Surah Al-Kahf 18:30
سُورَةُ الكَهۡفِ · Meccan · Verse 30 of 110
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا
Translation
As for those who believe and do good deeds- We do not let the reward of anyone who does a good deed go to waste-
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds, We will not let the reward of any who does good be lost.' al-Saadi and Ibn Kathir note the reassurance, 'inna la nudi'u ajra man ahsana 'amala': not one good deed, however small or unseen, is wasted or forgotten with God. Ask yourself: so much of my discouragement comes from the fear that my efforts vanish into a void, the kindness no one noticed, the discipline no one rewarded, the good done in obscurity. This verse guarantees the opposite: nothing good is lost. Every act, tracked and treasured by God, is kept and will be returned. If not a single good deed can be lost, then the unseen, unthanked good I do is not wasted at all, it is being saved. Does that free me to keep doing good even where no one is watching and nothing seems to come of it?
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Saadi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ashur.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Kahf 18:30 is discussed in 3 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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