Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tur Verse 21

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And those who believed and their children followed them in belief, We will join their children with them, and will not curtail (the reward of) any of their deeds at all. Every person will be pledged for what he earned.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

As for those who believe and whose descendants follow them in faith, We will elevate their descendants to their rank, never discounting anything ˹of the reward˺ of their deeds. Every person will reap only what they sowed.[[ Meaning, no one will carry the burden of another’s sins. ]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

As for those who believe and their offspring follow them in faith, We will cause their offspring to join them, and will not detract anything from [the reward of] their deeds. Everyone will be accountable for what he earned.

A. J. Arberry

And those who believed, and their seed followed them in belief, We shall join their seed with them, and We shall not defraud them of aught of their work; every man shall be pledged for what he earned.

Abdul Haleem

We unite the believers with their offspring who followed them in faith–– We do not deny them any of the rewards for their deeds: each person is in pledge for his own deeds––

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And those who believe and whose progeny follow them in belief. We shall cause their progeny to join them, and We shall not diminish Unto them aught of their own work. Every man is for that which he hath earned a pledge.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And those who believe and whose families follow them in Faith,- to them shall We join their families; Nor shall We deprive them (of the fruit) of aught of their works; (Yet) is each individual in pledge for his deeds.

Abul Ala Maududi

We shall unite the believers with those descendants of theirs who followed them in their faith, and shall not deny them any part of the reward for their good deeds. Every person is pledged to what he did.

Ahmed Ali

And those who believed, and whose progeny also followed them in their faith, will be united with their offspring. We will not deprive them of their labour in the least. Every man is bound to what he does.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And those who accepted faith, and whose descendants followed them with faith – We have joined their descendants with them, and have not reduced anything for them from their deeds; every soul is trapped in its own deeds.

Ali Quli Qarai

The faithful and their descendants who followed them in faith—We will make their descendants join them, and We will not stint anything from [the reward of] their deeds. Every person is hostage to what he has earned.

Ali Ünal

Those who have believed and their offspring have followed them in faith, We will unite them with their offspring (even though the faith of the latter may not be of the same degree as that of the former), and We will not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything (because of their being united with their offspring). Every person will enjoy according to what he has earned.

Amatul Rahman Omar

We shall unite with those who believe such of their children who follow them in Faith even (though they do not attain the high standard of their forefathers´ righteousness) yet We will not deprive them the least of the reward of their deeds. Every soul stands pledged for his own deeds (and is neither deprived of the reward nor can escape the punishment of his bad deeds).

English Literal

And those who believed and their descendants followed them with faith/belief, We made their descendants catch up/follow with them, and We did not reduce/diminish them from a thing from their deeds , each/every human with what he gained/won (is) accountable .

Faridul Haque

And those who accepted faith, and whose descendants followed them with faith - We have joined their descendants with them, and have not reduced anything for them from their deeds; every soul is trapped in its own deeds.

Hamid S. Aziz

And as for those who believe and whose offspring follow them in faith, We will unite with them their offspring and We will not deprive them of naught of their work; each individual is a pledge for his own deeds.

Hilali & Khan

And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Reclining on thrones set in lines, and We shall join them to pure; beautiful ones.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And (as for) those who believe and their offspring follow them in faith, We will unite with them their offspring and We will not diminish to them aught of their work; every man is responsible for what he shall have wrought.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And they who believe and whose seed follow them in faith, We cause their seed to join them (there), and We deprive them of nought of their (life's) work. Every man is a pledge for that which he hath earned.

Muhammad Sarwar

The offspring of the believers will also follow them to Paradise. So shall We join their offspring to them because of their faith. We shall reduce nothing from their deeds. Everyone will be responsible for his own actions.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Those who believe, and whose descendants follow in belief, We will join their descendants to them. And We will not reduce them of anything of their deeds. Every one is pledged for what he has earned.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in faith, -- to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned.

Wahiduddin Khan

To those who have attained to faith We shall unite their offspring who have also followed them in faith, and We shall not let any of their good deeds go unrewarded; every human being is a pledge for whatever he has earned.

Talal Itani

Those who believed and their offspring followed them in faith—We will unite them with their offspring, and We will not deprive them of any of their works. Every person is hostage to what he has earned.

Tafsir jalalayn

And those who believed (wa'lladhna man, the subject) and whom We made to be followed (wa- atba`nhum; a variant reading has wa'ttaba`athum, `and there followed them', as a supplement to man, `who believed') by their descendants (dhurrytihim; a variant reading [for this plural] has dhurryatuhum), young and old, in faith, on the part of the older ones and on the part of the parents in [their] young ones (the predicate [of the subject above] is [the following, alhaqn bihim), We will make their, mentioned, descendants join them, in Paradise, so that they are in the same degree [of reward], even though they might not have performed the same [meritorious] deeds as them [to deserve this equal status], a way of honouring the parents by having their children join them [again]; and We will not deprive them (read alatnhum or alitnhum), [We will not] diminish [them], of anything (min shay'in; min is extra) of their deeds, in order to add it to the deeds of their children. Every man is subject to what he has earned, of good or evil deeds, and will be requited for evil and rewarded for good.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Offspring of Righteous Believers will be elevated to Their Grades in Paradise

Allah the Exalted says,

وَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ

وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُم مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ

And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in faith, -- to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything.

In this Ayah, Allah the Exalted affirms His favor, generosity, graciousness, compassion and beneficence towards His creation. When the offspring of the righteous believers imitate their parents regarding faith, Allah will elevate the latter to the ranks of the former, even though the latter did not perform deeds as goodly as their parents. Allah will comfort the eyes of the parents by seeing their offspring elevated to their grades. Surely, Allah will gather them together in the best manner, and He will not decrease the reward or the grades of those higher in rank for joining them together, hence His statement,

أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ

وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُم مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ
.

to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything.

Ath-Thawri reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"Verily, Allah elevates the ranks of the believers' offspring to rank of their parents, even though the latter have not performed as well as the former, so that the eyes of the parents are comforted."

Ibn Abbas then recited this Ayah,

وَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ

وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُم مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ


And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in faith, -- to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything.

Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement from Sufyan Ath-Thawri from Ibn Abbas.

Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded that Ibn Abbas commented on Allah's statement,
وَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ
(And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in faith, -- to them shall We join their offspring), saying,

"They are the offspring of the believers who died on the faith. If the ranks of their parents are higher than their ranks, they will be joined with their parents. No part of the reward their parents received for their good deeds will be reduced for them."

Abdullah, son of Imam Ahmad, recorded that Ali said,

"Khadijah asked the Prophet about two of her children who died during the time of Jahiliyyah, and the Messenger of Allah said;
هُمَا فِي النَّار
(They are both in the Fire).

When he saw sadness on her face, he said,

لَوْ رَأَيْتِ مَكَانَهُمَا لَاَبْغَضْتِهِمَا

If you saw their dwelling place, you would hate them.

She said, `O Allah's Messenger! What about my children with you.'

He said,
فِي الْجَنَّة
(They are in Paradise).
The Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّ الْمُوْمِنِينَ وَأَوْلَادَهُمْ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَأَوْلَادَهُمْ فِي النَّار

Verily, the believers and their offspring will dwell in Paradise, while the idolators and their offspring will dwell in the Hellfire.
The Prophet then recited the Ayah,
وَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَانٍ
(And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in faith...)"

Certainly, it is Allah's grace and favor that He grants the children this blessing because of the good deeds of their parents. He also grants His favor to parents on account of their offspring invoking Allah for them.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّ اللهَ لَيَرْفَعُ الدَّرَجَةَ لِلْعَبْدِ الصَّالِحِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أَنْى لِي هذِهِ

فَيَقُولُ بِاسْتِغْفَارِ وَلَدِكَ لَك

Verily, Allah shall elevate the grade of a righteous servant in Paradise, who will ask, "O Lord! How did I earn this?"
Allah will reply, "Through your son's invoking Me to forgive you."
This Hadith has an authentic chain of narration, but it was not recorded in the Sahih this way.
However, there is a witnessing narration for it in Sahih Muslim, from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah, who said that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِذَا مَاتَ ابْنُ ادَمَ انْقَطَعَ عَمَلُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ ثَلَثٍ

صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ

أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ

أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَه

When the Son of Adam dies, his record of deeds will cease except in three cases;

an ongoing charity,

knowledge that people are benefiting from and

a righteous son who invokes Allah for him.
Allah is Just with the Sinners

Allah the Exalted said,

كُلُّ امْرِيٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌ



Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned.

After Allah mentioned His favor of elevating the offspring to the ranks of their parents, even though the deeds of the former did not qualify them, He affirmed His fairness in that, He does not punish anyone for the mistakes of others,
كُلُّ امْرِيٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌ
(Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned). Therefore, every person will be responsible for his actions. No sin committed by others shall ever be added to one's load, even if committed by his or her parents or offspring.

Allah the Exalted said,

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ

إِلاَّ أَصْحَـبَ الْيَمِينِ

فِى جَنَّـتٍ يَتَسَأءَلُونَ

عَنِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

Every person is a pledge for what he has earned, except those on the Right. In Gardens, they will ask one another about the criminals. (74;38-41)
Description of the Khamr of Paradise and the Delight of its Dwellers

Allah said,

وَأَمْدَدْنَاهُم بِفَاكِهَةٍ وَلَحْمٍ مِّمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ