Quran Universe
13:18

لِلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَجَابُواْ لِرَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَسۡتَجِيبُواْ لَهُۥ لَوۡ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا وَمِثۡلَهُۥ مَعَهُۥ لَٱفۡتَدَوۡاْ بِهِۦٓۚ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ سُوٓءُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ وَمَأۡوَىٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمِهَادُ

Lillatheena istajaboo lirabbihimu alhusna waallatheena lam yastajeeboo lahu law anna lahum ma fee alardi jameeAAan wamithlahu maAAahu laiftadaw bihi olaika lahum sooo alhisabi wamawahum jahannamu wabisa almihadu

For those who have responded to their Lord is the best [reward], but those who did not respond to Him - if they had all that is in the earth entirely and the like of it with it, they would [attempt to] ransom themselves thereby. Those will have the worst account, and their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the resting place.

Word by word
  1. لِلَّذِينَFor those who
  2. ٱسۡتَجَابُواْresponded
  3. لِرَبِّهِمُto their Lord
  4. ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۚ(is) the bliss
  5. وَٱلَّذِينَAnd for those who
  6. لَمۡ(did) not
  7. يَسۡتَجِيبُواْrespond
  8. لَهُۥto Him
  9. لَوۡif
  10. أَنَّthat
  11. لَهُمthey had
  12. مَّاwhatever
  13. فِي(is) in
  14. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  15. جَمِيعٗاall
  16. وَمِثۡلَهُۥand like of it
  17. مَعَهُۥwith it
  18. لَٱفۡتَدَوۡاْsurely they would offer ransom
  19. بِهِۦٓۚwith it
  20. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَThose
  21. لَهُمۡfor them
  22. سُوٓءُ(is) a terrible
  23. ٱلۡحِسَابِreckoning
  24. وَمَأۡوَىٰهُمۡand their abode
  25. جَهَنَّمُۖ(is) Hell
  26. وَبِئۡسَand wretched
  27. ٱلۡمِهَادُ(is) the resting place
Ar-Ra'd · 13:18Madinah

Answering His call now is worth more than the whole earth later.

Two responses, two endings

Two groups
those who answeredobeyed, believed
receive
Al-Husnathe best reward
The offer that comes too late
the earth twice overoffered as ransom
a response todaywhat is accepted

After the parable of foam, the verse names the outcome. Those who answered their Lord get the best reward. Ibn Kathir says those who refused would, on that Day, offer the earth full of gold and more to save themselves, and it would not be accepted.

The adhan goes off on your phone while you are mid-scroll. A small voice says pray now, and another says in a minute. That small moment of answering is cheap today. Later, nothing you own could buy it back.

I will answer Allah's call properly once life settles down.

The response is easy now and priceless later; today is the time to answer.

Try this

Next adhan you hear today, stop what you are doing within one minute and go pray.

Related10:26
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

For those who answered their Lord's call is Al-Husna. But those who answered not His call, if they had all that is in the earth together with its like, they would offer it in order to save themselves. For them there will be the terrible reckoning. Their dwelling place will be Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest (18)

Reward of the Blessed and Wretched Ones

Allah mentions the final destination of the blessed ones and the wretched ones,

لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمُ

(For those who answered their Lord's call) obeyed Allah and followed His Messenger (Muhammad, peace be upon him) by obeying his commands and believing in the narrations he brought about the past and the future, theirs will be,

الْحُسْنَىٰ

(Al-Husna), which is the good reward. Allah said that Dhul-Qarnayn declared,

أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا نُّكْرًا - وَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُ جَزَاءً الْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًا

(As for him who does wrong, we shall punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with a terrible torment (Hell). But as for him who believes and works righteousness, he shall have the best reward (Al-Husna), and we shall speak unto him mild words by our command)[18:87-88] Allah said in another Ayah,

لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَىٰ وَزِيَادَةٌ

(For those who have done good is the best (Al-Husna) and even more.)[10:26] Allah said next,

وَالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَهُ

(But those who answered not His call,) disobeyed Allah,

لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا

(if they had all that is in the earth together) meaning, in the Hereafter. This Ayah says: Had the earth's fill of gold and its like with it, they would try to ransom themselves from Allah's torment at that time. However, this will not be accepted from them. Verily, Allah the Exalted will not accept any type of exchange from,

أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْحِسَابِ

(For them there will be the terrible reckoning.) in the Hereafter, when they will be reckoned for the Naqir and the Qitmir, the big and the small. Verily, he who is reckoned in detail on that Day will receive punishment, hence Allah's statement next,

وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ

(Their dwelling place will be Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.)