Tafseer of The Mount · At-Tur · 52:21
And those who believed and whose descendants followed them in faith - We will join with them their descendants, and We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds. Every person, for what he earned, is retained.
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 discourse on the explanation of His word, the Exalted: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌ ("And those who believe and whose offspring followed them in faith: We join their offspring to them, and We do not diminish anything from their work. Every person is a pledge for what he has acquired") (52:21)
The exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) differed over the explanation of this. Some of them said: its meaning is: and those who believe and whose offspring We caused to follow them in faith, We join their believing offspring to them in Paradise, even though these latter did not, through their deeds, attain the ranks of their fathers, as an honour to their believing fathers; and We have not diminished anything for their believing fathers of the rewards of their deeds.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning this verse: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ ("And those who believe and whose offspring We caused to follow them in faith"), and he said: indeed Allah, blessed and exalted is He, raises up for the believer his offspring, even though they stand below him in deeds, so that Allah may thereby comfort his eye.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Muʾammil related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: indeed Allah, blessed and exalted is He, raises the offspring of the believer up to his rank, even though they stand below him in deeds, so that He may thereby comfort his eye. Then he recited: "And those who believe and whose offspring followed them in faith: We join their offspring to them, and We do not diminish anything from their work."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra al-Jamalī, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: indeed Allah, blessed and exalted is He, raises the offspring of the believer with him up to his rank. Then he mentioned something similar, except that he recited: وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ .
Mūsā ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Masrūqī related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn Bishr related to us, saying: Sufyān ibn Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Samāʿa, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, something similar.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, that he said concerning this verse وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ : for the believer his offspring are raised up, so that they join him, even though they stand below him in deeds.
And others said: rather its meaning is: and those who believe and whose offspring who attained faith We caused to follow them in faith, We join to them their young offspring who had not yet attained faith, and We have not diminished anything from the fathers' work.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ , he says: those whose offspring attained faith and acted with obedience to Me, them I have, because of their faith, joined to Paradise, and their young children We join to them.
It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ , he says: those whose offspring attained faith and acted with obedience to Me, them I have joined to their fathers in Paradise, and their young children likewise to them.
And others said something similar to this statement, except that they made the hāʾ and the mīm in His word: أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ("We join to them") refer to the offspring, and the hāʾ and the mīm in His word "their offspring," the second time, refer to those [who believe]. They said: the meaning of the word is: and those who believe and whose young offspring followed them, and We have not diminished anything from the adults' work.
* Mention of who said that:
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ , he said: their sons attained the deeds which they performed and followed them therein, and their offspring who did not attain the deeds followed them. Then Allah, exalted is His praise, said: وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ("and We do not diminish anything from their work"), he said: He says: We have done them no wrong in anything of their work by curtailing them so as to give it to their offspring whom We have joined to them — those who did not attain the deeds, them I have joined to those who did attain the deeds.
And others said: rather its meaning is: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ — and We caused them [the offspring] to enter Paradise because of the work of their fathers, and We have not diminished anything from the fathers' work.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān related to us, saying: I heard Dāwud relate on the authority of ʿĀmir, that he said concerning this verse وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ : Allah caused the offspring to enter Paradise because of the work of the fathers, and Allah diminished nothing of the fathers' work. He said: that is His word: وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ .
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Dāwud, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, that he said concerning the word of Allah: أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ : Allah joined their offspring to their fathers, and He diminished nothing of the fathers' deeds so as to give it back to their sons.
And others said: by His word "We join their offspring to them" was only meant: We have given them of the reward what We gave the fathers.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Qays ibn Muslim, he said: I heard Ibrāhīm say concerning His word: وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ : they were given the like of the rewards of their fathers, and nothing was diminished of their rewards.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Qays ibn Muslim, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, concerning وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ , he said: they were given the like of their rewards, and nothing was diminished of their rewards.
He said: Ḥukkām related to us, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, concerning وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ , he says: We have given them of the reward what We gave to them [the fathers]. وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ , he says: We have diminished nothing for their fathers.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ — thus did Yazīd recite it — ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ , he said: they acted with obedience to Allah, so Allah joined them to their fathers.
And the most correct of these statements, and the most consonant with that to which the outward meaning of the revelation points, is the statement which we have mentioned on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, namely: and those who believed in Allah and His Messenger, and whose offspring who attained faith We caused to follow them in faith — and they believed in Allah and His Messenger — We have joined to those who believed their offspring who attained faith and believed, in Paradise, and have placed them together with them in their ranks, even though their deeds fell short of the deeds of these latter, as an honour from Us to their fathers; and We have not diminished anything for them of the rewards of their work.
And I have said only that this is the most fitting of the interpretations of it because that is the most preponderant of its meanings, even though the other statements have their points of support.
The reciters differed over the reading of His word: وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ . Most of the reciters of Medina read it as وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُمْ ("and their offspring followed them") in the singular, "bi-īmān," and أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ in the plural. The reciters of Kūfa read it as وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ , both in the singular. And some of the reciters of Baṣra — namely Abū ʿAmr — read it as وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ .
And the correct judgment regarding this is that all of these are well-known, widespread readings in the recitation of the [various] cities, close to one another in meaning; with whichever of the two the reciter recites, he is correct.
And His word: وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ("and We do not diminish anything from their work"). The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: and We have not [diminished] for the fathers — He means by His word وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ : and We have not diminished anything for them of the rewards of their deeds, so as then to take it from them and give it to their sons whom We have joined to them — rather We have given them the rewards of their deeds in full and joined their sons to their ranks, as a favour from Us to them. The word al-alt in the language of the Arabs means: diminishing and curtailing. And there is another [reciting] manner of it, which, however, so far as we know, no one has recited. To the [word] al-alt belongs the saying of the poet:
Convey to the sons of Thuʿal from me a detailed message, the full content of the message — no diminishing and no lie.
He means: no diminishing and no addition.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Muʾammil related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ , he said: We have not diminished them.
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ , he says: We have not diminished them.
And Mūsā ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to me, saying: Mūsā ibn Bishr related to us, saying: Sufyān ibn Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Samāʿa, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ , he said: and We have not diminished them.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ , he said: We have not diminished anything for the fathers in favour of the sons.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: We have not diminished anything for the fathers in favour of the sons. وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ , he said: and We have not diminished them.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both together — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ , he said: We have diminished them [i.e. this explains the word, in the sense of "not diminished"].
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥukkām related to us, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ ibn Anas, concerning وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ , he says: We have diminished nothing for their fathers.
He said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ ibn Anas, the same.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abū al-Muʿallā, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ , he said: and We have done them no wrong.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ , he says: and We have done them no wrong in anything of their work.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ , he says: and We have done them no wrong.
And it was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word: وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ , he says: and We have done them no wrong.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ , he said: He says: We have done them no wrong in anything of their work; We have not curtailed them so as then to give it to their offspring whom We have joined to them and who did not attain the deeds — He has joined them to those who did attain the deeds. وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ , he said: He did not take the work of the adults so as then to reward the young with it, but rather He admitted them [the young] out of His mercy, while the adults worked and entered through their deeds.
And His word: كُلُّ امْرِئٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌ ("Every person is a pledge for what he has acquired") — he says: every soul is a pledge for what it has acquired and performed of good and evil; none of them is called to account for the sin of another, but is punished only for his own sin.
