Tafseer of The Stories · Al-Qasas · 28:84
Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have better than it; and whoever comes with an evil deed - then those who did evil deeds will not be recompensed except [as much as] what they used to do.
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.
The statement concerning the explanation of His saying, the Exalted: مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْهَا وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلا يُجْزَى الَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ إِلا مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (84) ("Whoever comes with the good deed, for him is something better than it; and whoever comes with the evil deed — those who have done the evil deeds will be requited only according to what they used to do." (28:84))
He, exalted be His mention, says: Whoever comes to Allah on the Day of Resurrection with the sincere profession of the oneness (tawḥīd), for him is something good, and that good is the Garden (janna) and everlasting bliss. And whoever comes with the evil deed — and that is the ascribing of partners to Allah (shirk).
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْهَا ("Whoever comes with the good deed, for him is something better than it"), that is to say: he has thereby a share in the good. And the good deed is sincere devotion (ikhlāṣ), and the evil deed is shirk.
And we have already expounded that by means of the disagreement of those who differed, and we have pointed out the correct position regarding it.
And His saying: فَلا يُجْزَى الَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ ("then those who have done the evil deeds will not be requited") says: those who have committed the evil deeds will not be rewarded for their evil deeds إِلا مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ("except according to what they used to do"), that is to say: except with the requital for what they used to do.
