Tafseer of The Night Journey · Al-Israa · 17:19
But whoever desires the Hereafter and exerts the effort due to it while he is a believer - it is those whose effort is ever appreciated [by Allah].
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah the Exalted says: Whoever desires the Hereafter, strives for it, and performs for it the deed that pertains to it — namely, obedience to Allah and that which pleases Him — and He attributed the striving to the pronoun referring to the Hereafter, so that He said "and he strove for the Hereafter as the Hereafter requires" — and the meaning is: he performed for it the deed that pertains to it, because the listeners know what that means, and that the import is: he strove for it as one ought to strive for it — while being a believer: that is, he is a believer who believes in Allah's reward and the greatness of His recompense for his striving toward it, without denying it as the denial of one who desires the worldly life. Allah the Exalted says: فَأُولَئِكَ (these): that is, whoever does that — كانَ سَعْيُهُمْ (their striving was): that is, their work in obedience to Allah — مَشْكُورًا (gratefully rewarded). Allah's gratitude toward them for that striving is: the best reward for them upon their good works, and His compassion by forgiving their evil deeds.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الآخِرَةَ وَسَعَى لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُمْ مَشْكُورًا (Whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as it requires, while being a believer — for these their striving was gratefully rewarded): "Allah rewarded them for their good deeds and forgave them their evil deeds."
