The Mechanism of the Transcendent Reward of Human Deeds in the Qurʾānic Expression "bi-aḥsani mā kānū yaʿmalūn" and Its Educational Implications: From Minimum Obligation to the Seal of Excellence

Document Type : Brief Communication Paper

Authors
Norouz Amini 1
Ali Eqdami Tatafi 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
10.30497/qhs.2026.248830.4210
Abstract
The Qurʾānic statement, “We shall surely grant them their reward according to the best of what they used to do” (wa-lanajziyannahum ajrahum bi-aḥsani mā kānū yaʿmalūn), represents one of the most profound Qurʾānic teachings concerning the interplay of divine justice and grace within the system of reward and recompense. The central question of this study is the meaning of the expression bi-aḥsani mā kānū yaʿmalūn and the manner in which it explains the nature and measure of divine reward. Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, and drawing upon Sunnī and Shīʿī exegetical sources, relevant ḥadīth traditions, and educational analyses by Muslim scholars of education, the study critically examines the principal interpretations of this expression. The findings demonstrate that the phrase should not be understood merely as indicating that God rewards individuals solely on the basis of their best deed. Rather, it denotes an elevating mechanism of divine grace through which God perfects the righteous deeds of believers, raising them to their highest degree of excellence, while—through faith and steadfast perseverance—concealing their sins or transforming them into good deeds. This interpretation is supported by related Qurʾānic passages, including “Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without measure” (Q. 39:10) and verses affirming the multiplication of righteous deeds. Beyond its theological and exegetical significance, this Qurʾānic teaching offers important implications for positive psychology, moral motivation, religious education, and the cultivation of hope and personal responsibility. The study concludes that the promise embodied in bi-aḥsani mā kānū yaʿmalūn reflects the harmonious integration of divine justice and mercy and presents an inspiring paradigm for the ethical and spiritual development of human beings.
Keywords
Divine justice
eschatological reward
reward and punishment of human deeds
Islamic education
educational implications of the Qurʾān
Subjects
The holy Qurʾān.
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