The Qur’an (4:123-125) states: “This is not (a matter of) your fancies or the fancies of the People of the Book. He who does evil shall be requited for it, and shall find none to protect him from Allah, and none to bring him support. And whoever, male or female, does good deeds and is a believer - they shall enter Paradise and they shall not be wronged in the least. Who could be of better faith than he who surrenders himself completely to Allah, does what is good, and follows the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false? For Allah has taken Abraham for a friend.”

Ayah 4:123 refers to the basic Islamic rule that governs action and reward. What determines the type of requital a person receives is not wishful thinking. There is a basic principle. The law applies equally to all communities. No one has any special relation of kinship with Allah. Hence, no one may claim special favour to have the rule violated or the law suspended for his own sake. Everyone will be requited according to his deeds, whether good or evil. Both the Jews and Christians claimed to be Allah’s children and beloved ones. Both also claimed: “The fire will not touch us except for a few days.” (The Qur’an – 2:80) And the Jews continue to assert that they are “Allah’s chosen people.” 

It may have occurred to some Muslims that they are truly the “best community ever raised for mankind”, and that Allah is certain to forgive them whatever misdeeds they may have committed, simply because they are Muslims. Qatadah said: “We were told that the Muslims and the People of the Scriptures mentioned their own virtues to each other. People of the Scriptures said, ‘Our Prophet came before your Prophet and our book before your Book. Therefore, we should have more right to Allah than you have.’  Muslims said, ‘Rather, we have more right to Allah than you, our Prophet is the Final Prophet and our Book supersedes all the Books before it.’ (Ibn Kathir) Thereupon, the Ayah cited above was revealed. It means that such self-glorification and self-praise does not behove anyone for one does not become superior to others simply on the basis of conjectures, fancies and claims. Instead, everything depends on deeds. No matter how noble and superior one’s Prophet and Book may be, the deed of the devotee will count in the final reckoning. If he acts evil, he will receive the kind of punishment from which he can never hope to be rescued by anyone. “So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom shall see it.” (The Qur’an – 99:7-8)

The Qur’anic statement ensures equality between the two parts of the single soul (men and women) from whom all mankind has originated with regard to action and requital. It also makes acceptance of people’s deeds conditional on their believing in Allah. “And whoever, male or female, does good deeds and is a believer - they shall enter Paradise and they shall not be wronged in the least.” (4:124) This statement clearly extends the same treatment to men and women. 

Furthermore, faith is the prerequisite for accepting one’s deeds. Indeed, no action is of any value in Allah’s measure unless it is based on, and motivated by faith. This is both natural and logical. It is belief in Allah that gives a good deed a proper concept and a clear purpose. It also makes such a good deed a natural and consistent line of action. It is no longer a response to a personal desire or a momentary impulse. The hint given here is that the People of the Book or other non-Muslims may also have some good deeds of their own, but, since their faith is not sound, therefore, those deeds of theirs are not acceptable. As for Muslims, since their faith is sound and their deeds too are good, therefore, they are the successful ones, and superior to others.

“He who does evil shall be requited for it, and shall find none to protect him from Allah, and none to bring him support.” (4:123) This statement was tough on the Muslims, for in it they recognised their weaknesses and the fact that no matter how good a person is and how much good works he does, he will inevitably do some evil. They shuddered as though they were facing the results here and now. This was their distinctive characteristic; to feel the Hereafter as though it was here now, and not merely as something that will eventually, without doubt, come. To them, it was close, not distant. In short, this Ayah is a reminder for us that we should not indulge in tall claims and wishful thinking. 

On the contrary, we should be concerned with what we actually do, for our success will not come solely on the basis of our formal adherence to a given Prophet and a Book. Instead, our real prosperity lies in making certain that our belief in them is correct and that we are particular about doing good deeds as enjoined. Let us now recapitulate that a good deed is another name of the act of following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, all of us who intend to do a good deed with full sincerity must first find out how it was done by the noble Messenger of Allah ﷺ and what instructions he has left behind for us in that connection. We must understand that any deed of ours which stands removed from the course set by our noble Prophet ﷺ, known as his Sunnah, will stand unacceptable. Therefore, in all our deeds relating to Salah, Sawm, Hajj, Zakah, Sadaqat, Khayrat, Dhikr of Allah apart from our socio-economic and other worldly dealings, it is necessary to keep in mind the way these were done by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and how he told us to do them.

At the end of the Ayah 4:125, an example has been cited, the example of sincerity and good conduct set by Prophet Ibrahim, the following of which has been declared as mandatory. “For Allah has taken Abraham for a friend”, it has been hinted that this high station bestowed on Prophet Ibrahim has good reason behind it for he was absolutely and superbly sincere and his deed too was sound and correct with intimation from Allah. At any rate, this was one part of the process of developing a proper and accurate concept of the rule of action and reward in Islam. It was of paramount importance in making such a concept perfectly accurate and in helping to set believers’ practices on the right way. The Ayah shook them because they took all matters related to their faith very seriously. They realised that whatever Allah promises will come true, both in this life and in the life to come.