Quran Universe
28:84

مَن جَآءَ بِٱلۡحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُۥ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡهَاۖ وَمَن جَآءَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجۡزَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ إِلَّا مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ

Man jaa bialhasanati falahu khayrun minha waman jaa bialssayyiati fala yujza allatheena AAamiloo alssayyiati illa ma kanoo yaAAmaloona

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.

Word by word
  1. مَنWhoever
  2. جَآءَcomes
  3. بِٱلۡحَسَنَةِwith a good (deed)
  4. فَلَهُۥthen for him
  5. خَيۡرٞ(will be) better
  6. مِّنۡهَاۖthan it
  7. وَمَنand whoever
  8. جَآءَcomes
  9. بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِwith an evil (deed)
  10. فَلَاthen not
  11. يُجۡزَىwill be recompensed
  12. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  13. عَمِلُواْdo
  14. ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِthe evil (deeds)
  15. إِلَّاexcept
  16. مَاwhat
  17. كَانُواْthey used (to)
  18. يَعۡمَلُونَdo
Al-Qasas · 28:84Makkah

Good returns better; evil returns only as much.

Generosity for good, justice for evil

How deeds are weighed
a good deedbrought on the Day
returns
better than itmultiplied
an evil deedonly what was done
Two positions
generosityfor the good
justicefor the evil, no more

Ibn Kathir explains that Allah's reward is better than the servant's good deed, since He multiplies it many times. Evil is repaid only by what was done. He calls this the position of generosity and justice.

You helped your neighbour carry the shopping, five minutes of effort. Allah counts it as more than that. You snapped at your child; it is counted as exactly that, no more. The scale is tilted toward your good.

My small good deeds hardly count against my mistakes.

Allah multiplies every good and counts every wrong only as itself, so good always gains.

Try this

Do three small good deeds today, each under five minutes.

Related27:90
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 28:83)

That is the home of the Hereafter, We shall assign to those who do not want to exalt themselves in the land nor cause corruption. And the good end is for those who have Taqwa (83)Whosoever brings good, he shall have the better thereof; and whosoever brings evil, then those who do evil deeds will only be requited for what they used to do (84)

The Blessings of the Hereafter for the humble Believers

Allah tells us that He has made the home of the Hereafter, and its eternal delights which will never change or fade away, for His believing, humble servants who do not rebel against the truth with pride and oppression in the land. They do not exalt themselves above the creatures of Allah, arrogantly oppressing them and spreading corruption among them. 'Ikrimah said that this phrase referred to haughtiness and arrogance. Ibn Jurayj said:

لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ

(those who do not want to exalt themselves in the land) "Arrogance and tyranny,

وَلَا فَسَادًا

(nor cause corruption) committing sins." Ibn Jarir recorded that 'Ali said, "If a man wants the straps of his sandals to be better than the straps of his companion's sandals, then he is one of those referred to in the Ayah,

تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا ۚ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

(That is the home of the Hereafter, We shall assign to those who do not want to exalt themselves in the land nor cause corruption. And the good end is for those who have Taqwa.) This is understood to mean that if his intention is to show off and appear better than others, then that is to be condemned, as it was reported in the Sahih that the Prophet ﷺ said:

إِنَّهُ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنْ تَوَاضَعُوا حَتَّى لَا يَفْخَرَ أَحَدٌ عَلَى أَحَدٍ وَلَا يَبْغِي أَحَدٌ عَلَى أَحَدٍ

(It has been revealed to me that you should be humble to the extent that none of you boasts to others or mistreats others.) But if a person simply likes to look good, then there is nothing wrong with that. It was recorded that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, I like to have my garment looking good and my shoes looking good – is this a kind of arrogance?" The Prophet ﷺ said:

لَا، إِنَّ اللهَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ

(No, for Allah is beautiful and loves beauty...) And Allah says:

مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ

(Whosoever brings good,) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection,

فَلَهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْهَا

(he shall have the better thereof;) meaning, the reward of Allah is better than the good deeds of His servant – how can it not be, when Allah has multiplied it many times over? This is the position of generosity. Then Allah says:

وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجْزَى الَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ 

(and whosoever brings evil, then those who do evil deeds will only be requited for what they used to do.) This is like the Ayah,

وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَكُبَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ هَلْ تُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

(And whoever brings an evil deed, they will be cast down on their faces in the Fire. (And it will be said to them) "Are you being recompensed anything except what you used to do")(27: 90). This is the postition of generosity and justice.