الآية رقم (13) - إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ

(13) - (Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure, (13))

After Allah (swt) confirmed the matter of writing the deeds and counting them for their doers, He (swt) indicated its great consequences. This matter will end in accountability and reward according to the good and evil recorded by the angels. This destiny is pre-prepared and ready waiting for its righteous companions in Paradise and the wicked in Fire.

Allah (swt) affirmed this meaning here by using the affirmation style (Using the letter “Lam” in the word لَفِي ) to stop the doubts of people who suspect this destiny.

(Righteous) is derived from (righteousness), a word that holds all good behaviours, Allah (swt) says:

 {وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَىٰ}

(but righteousness is [in] one who fears Allah.) (Al-Baqara: 189)

One brief and comprehensive word is mentioned, that is righteousness, which is not just an outward act rather it is based upon outward and inward, for example, Allah (swt) says:

 {إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ}

(Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing,) (Al-Alkaboot: 45)

Somebody may come and say to us: “What if I do not do immoral and wrong actions, then the outward duties are not such important!!!!” We answer him: You separated between the outward and the inward while they are fully connected. Allah (swt) answers such people by showing the various aspects of righteousness:

  لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا ۖ وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

(Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.) (Al-Baqara: 177)

Allah (swt) counted types of righteousness indicating that it includes both the inward and outward works, starting with doctrine, which top is believing in Allah (swt), the last day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets. If someone said: The Book and the Prophets are tangible, we say to him: this is not correct, they are tangible as individuals but in meaning they are unseen because we have not seen them. We have not seen Jibril (Pbuh) when he came down to our Prophet (saws). Then, the context of this verse moves to righteousness in practical behavior when talking about money and its role in life movement in community.

As if the matter of spending money in pure and good aspects is the most important behavior for a believer, so that, general spending upon these classes of people: the relatives, the orphans, the needy, the traveler, the help asker and for freeing slaves, is mentioned before prayer and alms giving, this is the meaning of righteousness.