Quran Universe
26:164

وَمَآ أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ مِنۡ أَجۡرٍۖ إِنۡ أَجۡرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Wama asalukum AAalayhi min ajrin in ajriya illa AAala rabbi alAAalameena

And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.

Word by word
  1. وَمَآAnd not
  2. أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡI ask you
  3. عَلَيۡهِfor it
  4. مِنۡany
  5. أَجۡرٍۖpayment
  6. إِنۡNot
  7. أَجۡرِيَ(is) my payment
  8. إِلَّاexcept
  9. عَلَىٰfrom
  10. رَبِّ(the) Lord
  11. ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ(of) the worlds
Ash-Shu'ara · 26:164Makkah

Lut asked nothing for himself.

The fourth messenger with the same words

Same line, four times
Nuh
Hud
Salih
Lut
all said
my reward is with Allah
What it costs him
a careergain from them
a burdenrisk for their sake

Lut repeats what each messenger said: my reward is only from the Lord of all that exists. He later faced threats of expulsion for his message. He had nothing to gain from them and much to lose.

You speak up about something wrong in your community, knowing it may cost you friends or invitations. You do it anyway, for Allah. That reward is held safe.

If speaking the truth costs me, it is not worth it.

What I lose for speaking truth, Allah repays from His side.

Try this

Say one true and kind thing today that you have been holding back out of fear.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 26:160)

The people of Lut denied the Messengers (160)When their brother Lut said to them: "Will you not have Taqwa? (161)"Verily, I am a trustworthy Messenger to you. (162)"So, have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me. (163)"No reward do I ask of you for it; my reward is only from the Lord of all that exits. (164)

Lut and His Call

Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Lut, peace be upon him. He was Lut bin Haran bin Azar, the nephew of Ibrahim Al-Khalil, upon him be peace. Allah sent him to a mighty nation during the lifetime of Ibrahim, peace be upon them both. They lived in Sadum (Sodom) and its environs, where Allah destroyed them and turned the area into a putrid, stinking lake, which is well-known in the land of Al-Ghur [the Jordan Valley], bordering the mountains of Jerusalem, between the mountains and the land of Al-Karak and Ash-Shawbak. He called them to Allah, to worship Him alone with no partner or associate, and to obey the Messenger whom Allah sent to them. He forbade from disobeying Allah and committing the sin that they had invented which was unknown on earth before their time; intercourse with males instead of with females. Allah said: