Every verse of A; Qur'an, the fourth Divine scripture, guides a believer to live a successful life. Those who reflect deeply on these verse find the Divine wisdom which benefit them to find the straight path to their Creator. We have already shared many such verses for the benefit of our readers that can be found from Part III of our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an
Through this page we share an important verse which lays down six principles that constitute a miniature programme for the lifetime success of a believer. This verse is from Surah Az-Zumar 39:10 which is one of the Qur’an’s strongest verses on taqwā, perseverance, sacrifice for faith, and the limitless reward of ṣabr. It was especially meaningful to the early Muslims who were living under persecution in Makkah, but its principle extends far beyond that historical situation.
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
“Say, ‘O My servants who believe! Be mindful of your Lord. Those who do good in this world will have a good reward. And Allah’s earth is spacious. Only those who endure patiently will be given their reward without limit.’”
The context
Surah Az-Zumar is a Makkan Surah, revealed when the believers were facing increasing pressure and persecution for their faith. The words “Allah’s earth is spacious” therefore carried a very practical message: if remaining somewhere makes it impossible to worship Allah faithfully, a believer should not imagine that he is permanently trapped. Allah’s earth extends beyond the place of oppression. Classical commentators consequently saw in this verse an early indication toward Hijrah—migration for the protection of faith. Maududi considers the verse evidence that the Surah was revealed before the migration to Abyssinia.
But notice the sequence of the verse: Faith → Taqwā → doing good → willingness to sacrifice → Ṣabr → immeasurable reward. It is almost a miniature programme for the life of a believer.
Explanation of the Verse
1. “O My servants who believe—fear your Lord”
This part of the verse combines faith and taqwa. The verse does not merely say, believe (that is faith). It says that those who already believe must develop taqwā. Maududi explains this as a warning not to become satisfied merely with possessing faith intellectually; belief must produce obedience—doing what Allah commands and avoiding what He prohibits while remaining conscious of accountability before Him.
This distinction remains extremely important today. “I am a Muslim” is an identity; taqwā is the life that should flow from that identity.
2. “For those who do good in this world is good”
Ibn Kathir understands this broadly: whoever performs good in this life will receive good both in this world and in the Hereafter.
This does not mean that every righteous person will necessarily become wealthy, healthy or free from difficulty. Rather, ḥasanah includes Allah’s guidance, contentment, spiritual strength, protection, blessing and ultimately the reward of the Hereafter.
So the Qur’anic equation is not: good deeds = an easy life - but rather: good deeds = no goodness is ever wasted before Allah.
3. “Allah’s earth is spacious”
This short phrase is remarkably powerful.
- Ibn Kathir records the interpretation of Mujāhid that believers should move through Allah’s earth, striving for His cause and distancing themselves from idolatry when necessary. The idea is therefore closely connected to preserving religion when circumstances become hostile to faith.
- Maududi makes the implication explicit: if it becomes impossible or extremely difficult to profess and practice one's faith in one place, the believer should be prepared to move somewhere that permits obedience to Allah.
- Yusuf Ali similarly interprets it morally as well as geographically: circumstances cannot always be used as an excuse for abandoning what is right. If one's surroundings prevent faithful living, a believer may sometimes have to accept hardship, social exclusion or even migration rather than compromise fundamental belief.
So “Allah’s earth is spacious” means, in effect: Do not believe that your circumstances are greater than your Lord.
4. “The patient will be given their reward without measure”
This is perhaps the most striking part of the verse:
- بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ — bighayri ḥisāb - “without reckoning / without measure.”
- Most good deeds have rewards described in multiples. Here, Allah deliberately leaves the reward of the ṣābirūn—the patiently steadfast—open-ended.
Ibn Kathir cites al-Awzāʿī as explaining that their reward will not be weighed or measured; rather, they will receive an immense reward.
5. And ṣabr here does not merely mean quietly waiting. It means remaining loyal to Allah when loyalty becomes difficult: enduring persecution, resisting temptation, continuing obedience, accepting sacrifice and refusing to abandon truth simply because circumstances become painful. Maududi includes both those who migrated because of persecution and those who remained and patiently endured it.
Viewpoint of eminent scholars of this important verse
- Ibn Kathir sees the verse as a command to taqwā, steadfast obedience, migration when necessary, and patient endurance, with an unlimited Divine reward awaiting those who persevere.
- Maududi emphasizes that faith must become practical taqwā. “Allah’s earth is spacious” means believers must never regard geographical, social or political circumstances as an absolute excuse for abandoning their religion. If necessary, preserving faith may demand migration and sacrifice.
- Yusuf Ali highlights much the same moral principle: one must continue doing right despite circumstances, and where one's environment makes faithful living impossible, sacrifice—including separation from one's familiar surroundings—may become necessary.
Modern readings such as the Ishraq commentary likewise preserve the verse's sequence of fearing Allah, doing good, recognizing the spaciousness of Allah's earth, enduring patiently and receiving reward beyond measure.
Please refer to our earlier post: Reward beyond all reckoning for those who Fear Allah and Persevere based on verse 10 of Surah Az Zumar.
What does 39:10 say to us today?
Most of us may never face the persecution experienced by the first Muslims, yet we constantly face environments that pressure us to compromise: workplaces where dishonesty seems necessary for advancement, social circles where immorality is normalized, business cultures where unlawful earnings appear unavoidable, or societies where practicing faith may attract ridicule.
39:10 tells us: do not sell your principles because you think you have no alternative. Allah's world is larger than the situation presently surrounding you.
Sometimes our “Hijrah” may literally involve moving. At other times it may mean leaving a harmful friendship, abandoning unlawful income, changing an environment, giving up an opportunity that compromises faith, or spiritually distancing ourselves from influences that lead us away from Allah.
And when doing the right thing costs us something, the final words become especially comforting: "Allah does not say merely that the patient will be rewarded. He says their reward will be “without measure. - إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ "
That makes 39:10 a verse of extraordinary hope: when obedience becomes expensive, never assume that what you sacrifice for Allah is lost. What you surrender may be measurable—but what Allah promises in return is not.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may refer to more Selected Verses from Sürah 39. Az-Zumar (The Throngs) already published
You may also refer to our exclusive reference pages:
- Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
- Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects
- Selected Verses from the Qur'an.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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