ﱷ ﱸ ﱹ ﱺ ﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ ﱿ ﲀ ﲁ ﲂ ﲃ ﲄ ﲅ ﲆ ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ
Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.
Tafsir
Verse range: 16:97
"Whoever does righteousness..."
[Question]: If you ask: "The word man (whoever) is inherently inclusive of both male and female, so what is the purpose of specifying them?"
[Response]: I say: It is an indefinite noun that applies absolutely to both types. However, when it is mentioned, the apparent implication is often toward males. Therefore, it was said: "Whether male or female," as a clarification, so that the promise may encompass both types entirely.
"Whoever does..." Meaning: in this world. This is the apparent meaning, due to His saying: "And We will surely reward them." God has promised them the reward of this world and the Hereafter, similar to His saying: "So God gave them the reward of this world and the excellent reward of the Hereafter" (Āl ʿImrān: 148).
This is because the believer, through righteous deeds—whether wealthy or impoverished—lives a good life. If he is wealthy, there is no dispute regarding this. If he is impoverished, he possesses that which makes his life good: contentment and satisfaction with God’s decree. As for the wicked, his affair is the opposite: if he is impoverished, there is no doubt about his state; and if he is wealthy, greed does not allow him to enjoy his life.
"So when you recite the Qur’an, seek refuge in God from Satan, the expelled. Indeed, there is for him no authority over those who have believed and rely upon their Lord. His authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who through him associate others with God."
