Quran Universe
9:105

وَقُلِ ٱعۡمَلُواْ فَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمۡ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَٰلِمِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ

Waquli iAAmaloo fasayara Allahu AAamalakum warasooluhu waalmuminoona wasaturaddoona ila AAalimi alghaybi waalshshahadati fayunabbiokum bima kuntum taAAmaloona

And say, "Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do."

Word by word
  1. وَقُلِAnd say
  2. ٱعۡمَلُواْDo
  3. فَسَيَرَىthen Allah will see
  4. ٱللَّهُthen Allah will see
  5. عَمَلَكُمۡyour deed
  6. وَرَسُولُهُۥand His Messenger
  7. وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَۖand the believers
  8. وَسَتُرَدُّونَAnd you will be brought back
  9. إِلَىٰto
  10. عَٰلِمِ(the) Knower
  11. ٱلۡغَيۡبِ(of) the unseen
  12. وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِand the seen
  13. فَيُنَبِّئُكُمthen He will inform you
  14. بِمَاof what
  15. كُنتُمۡyou used (to)
  16. تَعۡمَلُونَdo
At-Tawbah · 9:105Madinah

Do your deeds; they will be seen.

Seen by Allah, His Messenger, and the believers

Who sees your work
your deedswhat you actually do
seen by
Allahfirst and fully
His Messenger ﷺand the believers
then shown to youevery one of them
What decides it
how I look todaygood for now
how I enddeeds at the finish

Mujahid saw this as a warning to those who defy Allah: their deeds will be shown. Aishah said: if someone's good deeds please you, recite this verse. The Prophet ﷺ said do not be pleased with anyone's deeds until you see how they end, for people change in both directions.

You are on a good streak: praying on time, reading every day. Or you are in a bad one and feel it is too late. Neither is the end of your story. The verse simply says: keep working, it is all seen.

My current streak, good or bad, defines me.

What I keep doing to the end is what will be shown.

Try this

Do one good deed today as if it might be the last thing on your record.

Related69:1886:9100:10
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And say "Do deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers. And you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. Then He will inform you of what you used to do. (105)

Warning the Disobedient

Mujahid said that this Ayah carries a warning from Allah to those who defy His orders. Their deeds will be shown to Allah, Blessed and Most Honored, and to the Messenger ﷺ and the believers. This will certainly occur on the Day of Resurrection, just as Allah said,

يَوْمَئِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَىٰ مِنكُمْ خَافِيَةٌ

(That Day shall you be brought to Judgement, not a secret of you will be hidden.)[69:18],

يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ

(The Day when all the secrets will be examined.)[86:9], and,

وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِي الصُّدُورِ

(And that which is in the breasts (of men) shall be made known.)[100:10]

Allah might also expose some deeds to the people in this life. Al-Bukhari said that 'Aishah said, "If the good deeds of a Muslim person please you, then say,

اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ

(Do deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers.)"

There is a Hadith that carries a similar meaning. Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

لَا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تُعْجَبُوا بِأَحَدٍ حَتَّى تَنْظُرُوا بِمَ يُخْتَمُ لَهُ، فَإِنَّ الْعَامِلَ يَعْمَلُ زَمَانًا مِنْ عُمْرِهِ - أَوْ بَــرهَةً مِنْ دَهْرِهِ - بِعَمَلٍ صَالِحٍ لَوْ مَاتَ عَلَيْهِ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ ثُمَّ يَتَحَوَّلُ فَيَعْمَلُ عَمَلًا سَيِّئًا، وَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَعْمَلُ الْبُرْهَةَ مِنْ دَهْرِهِ بِعَمَلٍ سَيِّءٍ، لَوْ مَاتَ عَلَيْهِ دَخَلَ النَّارَ ثُمَّ يَتَحَوَّلُ فَيَعْمَلُ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا، وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللهُ بِعَبْدِهِ خَيْرًا اسْتَعْمَلَهُ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

(Do not be pleased with someone's deeds until you see what his deeds in the end will be like. Verily, one might work for some time of his life with good deeds, so that if he dies while doing it, he will enter Paradise. However, he changes and commits evil deeds. And one might commit evil deeds for some time in his life, so that if he dies while doing them he will enter the Fire. However, he changes and performs good deeds. If Allah wants the good of a servant He employs him before he dies.)

He was asked, "How would Allah employ him, O Allah's Messenger?" He said,

يُوَفِّقُهُ لِعَمِلٍ صَالِحٍ ثُمَّ يَقْبِضُهُ عَلَيْهِ

(He directs him to perform good deeds and takes his life in that condition.) Only Imam Ahmad collected this Hadith.