Quran Universe
31:22

۞وَمَن يُسۡلِمۡ وَجۡهَهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٞ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡأُمُورِ

Waman yuslim wajhahu ila Allahi wahuwa muhsinun faqadi istamsaka bialAAurwati alwuthqa waila Allahi AAaqibatu alomoori

And whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good - then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold. And to Allah will be the outcome of [all] matters.

Word by word
  1. ۞وَمَنAnd whoever
  2. يُسۡلِمۡsubmits
  3. وَجۡهَهُۥٓhis face
  4. إِلَىto
  5. ٱللَّهِAllah
  6. وَهُوَwhile he
  7. مُحۡسِنٞ(is) a good-doer
  8. فَقَدِthen indeed
  9. ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَhe has grasped
  10. بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِthe handhold
  11. ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰۗthe most trustworthy
  12. وَإِلَىAnd to
  13. ٱللَّهِAllah
  14. عَٰقِبَةُ(is the) end
  15. ٱلۡأُمُورِ(of) the matters
Luqman · 31:22Makkah

Submit your face to Allah and hold the firmest handhold.

Sincere surrender plus doing good

What holds
submit your facesincerely, for Him
do goodas a Muhsin
means
the firmest handholda promise that holds
What to grip
my own plansthey slip
the trustworthy handholdall matters return to Allah

Ibn Kathir says submitting your face means doing deeds sincerely for His sake and following His law. The one who does this and does good has a firm promise from Allah.

The redundancy email. The test results you are waiting on. Everything you were holding feels loose. There is one handhold that does not break: turning your whole self to Allah and doing the next good thing.

I feel safe when I am in control of things.

I am safe when I am holding on to Allah, whatever else slips.

Try this

When you feel anxious today, stop and say: to Allah all matters return.

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

And whosoever submits his face (himself) to Allah, while he is a Muhsin, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold. And to Allah return all matters for decision (22)And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you. To Us is their return, and We shall inform them what they have done. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts (23)We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.) Allah tells us that whoever submits his face to Allah, i.e., does deeds sincerely for His sake, submits to His commandments and follows His Law (24)

وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ

(while he is a Muhsin) i.e., doing what his Lord has commanded and abstaining from what He has forbidden,

فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ

(then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold.) means, he has received a firm promise from Allah that He will not punish him.

وَإِلَى اللَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ - وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَلَا يَحْزُنْكَ كُفْرُهُ ۚ

(And to Allah return all matters for decision. And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you.) means, 'do not grieve over them, O Muhammad, because they disbelieve in Allah and in the Message you have brought, for their return will be to Allah and He will tell them what they used to do,' i.e., He will punish them for it.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

(Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts.) and nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him. Then Allah says:

نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا

(We let them enjoy for a little while,) means, in this world,

ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ

(then in the end We shall oblige them) means, 'We shall cause them,'

إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ

(to (enter) a great torment.) means, a torment that is terrifying and difficult to bear. This is like the Ayah,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ - مَتَاعٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ نُذِيقُهُمُ الْعَذَابَ الشَّدِيدَ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ

("Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah, will never be successful." Enjoyment in this world! and then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve.)(10:69-70)