38:28

أَمۡ نَجۡعَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ كَٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَمۡ نَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ كَٱلۡفُجَّارِ

Am najAAalu allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati kaalmufsideena fee alardi am najAAalu almuttaqeena kaalfujjari

Or should we treat those who believe and do righteous deeds like corrupters in the land? Or should We treat those who fear Allah like the wicked?

Word by word
  1. أَمۡOr
  2. نَجۡعَلُshould We treat
  3. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  4. ءَامَنُواْbelieve
  5. وَعَمِلُواْand do
  6. ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِrighteous deeds
  7. كَٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَlike those who spread corruption
  8. فِيin
  9. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  10. أَمۡOr
  11. نَجۡعَلُshould We treat
  12. ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَthe pious
  13. كَٱلۡفُجَّارِlike the wicked
Sad · 38:28Makkah

Would Allah treat the doers of good like the corrupters?

Justice needs another world


Two kinds of people
believerswho do good
not equal to
corrupterswho spread harm
What this world shows
the wrongdoer winsend of story
rights restoredin another realm

Ibn Kathir says we see evildoers prospering until they die, and oppressed believers dying in grief. Allah does not do a speck of injustice, so there must be a time when the rights of the oppressed are restored. If not here, then in another realm.

The colleague who cut corners got the promotion. The honest one was let go. You start to think honesty is for fools. The account is not closed yet. Keep doing good.

If cheaters win and the honest lose, being good does not pay.

Allah will not treat the good and the corrupt the same. The final account is still ahead.

Try this

Do one honest thing today that costs you a little, trusting the account is with Allah.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 38:27)

And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the consideration of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire (27)Shall We treat those who believe and do righteous good deeds as those who cause mischief on the earth? Or shall We treat those who have Taqwa as the evildoers (28)(This is) a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember (29)

The Wisdom behind the Creation of This World

Allah tells us that He did not create the creatures in vain; He created them to worship Him Alone, then He will gather them on the Day of Gathering and will reward the obedient and punish the disbelievers. Allah says:

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۚ 

(And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the consideration of those who disbelieve!) meaning, those who do not think that the resurrection and the place of return will occur, but they think that there is nothing after this world.

فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ 

(Then woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire!) means, woe to them on the Day when they will be resurrected, from the Fire that is prepared for them. Then Allah explains that because of His justice and wisdom, He does not treat the believers and the disbelievers equally. Allah says:

أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ 

(Shall We treat those who believe and do righteous good deeds as those who do mischief on the earth? Or shall We treat Those who have Taqwa as the evildoers?) meaning, 'We shall not do that.' They are not equal before Allah, and since this is the case, there must inevitably be another realm in which those who obey Allah will be rewarded and the wicked will be punished. This teaching indicates to those of a sound mind and upright nature that there must inevitably be a resurrection and recompense. We see evildoers and criminals are prospering and increasing in wealth, children and luxury, until they die in that state. We see oppressed believers dying of grief and distress, so by the wisdom of the All-Wise, All-Knowing, All-Just who does not do even a speck of dust's weight of injustice, there should be a time when the rights of the oppressed are restored with due justice. If this does not happen in this world, there must be another realm where recompense may be made and consolation may be found. The Qur'an teaches sound aims based on a rational way of thinking, so Allah says:

كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

((This is) a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may ponder over its Ayat, and that men of understanding may remember.) meaning, those who are possessed of wisdom and reason.