An-Nahl (The Bee)

30. “And (when) those who keep from evil are asked: ‘What has your Lord sent down?’ They say: ‘Good!’ Goodness is for those who do ‘good’ in this world; and certainly the abode of the Hereafter is better, and excellent indeed is the abode of the pious.”

In the early days of Islam, those who had heard the names of the Qur’an and the Prophet, when they entered Mecca, they would ask various people they confronted

“What has your Lord descended?” In answer to them, the pagans would say: “The old legends”, while the believers would answer them: “Good!”, meaning He has descended whatever is the source of ‘good’ and ‘happiness’.

We have noted in the previous verses the remarks made by the pagans about the Qur’an. We shall focus our attention here on the beliefs of the faithful along with the consequences of their faith.

At first, the Qur’an implies that when the pious were asked as to what their Lord has descended, they would answer ‘The good and happiness.’

The verse says:

“And (when) those who keep from evil are asked: ‘What has your Lord sent down?’ They say: ‘Good!’…”

What an explicit, beautiful and comprehensive sense it is! ‘The good’ and, in particular, in its absolute concept of the word, the comprehensive meaning of which encompasses all the decent acts, happiness and successes, whether material or spiritual.

To sum up, as in the case of the pagans through previous verses which have explained their increasing punishment, spiritual, material, worldly and that of the Hereafter, the concluding remarks made by the believers are as follow in the verse in question:

where it says:

“…Goodness is for those who do ‘good’ in this world…”

It is worth noting that the Qur’anic term /hasanah/ is just like /xayr/ ‘the good’ which encompasses all kinds of ‘decencies’ as well as the ‘blessings’, which are found in this world.

Such are their worldly rewards. Moreover, it emphasizes the fact that: their abode in Hereafter is even better than their worldly life. What a nice place it is the residence of those who are pious.

The verse says:

“…and certainly the abode of the Hereafter is better, and excellent indeed is the abode of the pious.”