Striving For the Path of the Muhsineen

Tafseer 2026

Surah Saffat (Part Eight)

وَبَشَّرْنَـٰهُ بِإِسْحَـٰقَ نَبِيًّۭا مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ١١٢

“We later gave him good news of Isaac–a prophet, and one of the righteous.” (37:112)

This last section of Surah Saffat is tying us back to the rest of it.
Here, Allah is speaking about what He gives us for the actions that we do. Allah is motivating us to look at and understand what the Prophets (AS) had done, and the gifts He had provided them for their actions and sacrifices.

The most important takeaway in this Ayah is that Allah could have given Ismail (AS) one son. This would have been sufficient for him. But in this story, not only does he give him a son, but a grandson, a great grandson, and later on, Nabi Muhammad (SAW).
In order to get a closeness to Allah, we must understand that our sacrifices always matter.

وَبَـٰرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَىٰٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ ۚ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌۭ وَظَالِمٌۭ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ مُبِينٌۭ ١١٣

“We blessed him and Isaac as well. Some of their descendants did good, while others clearly wronged themselves.” (37:113)

This is one of the effects that had come out of the sacrifices of the father: the benefit of the generations that came after.
Ibrahim (AS) chose to sacrifice for Allah. For us as believers, this is the sacrifice of time, of sleep, of meals, for Barakah. Ibrahim (AS) constantly chose sacrifice for Allah and he saw the impacts of this Barakah.

• Allah also says that though He gave Barakah to the Prophets (AS) within their progeny, there were those who did good and those who did not. 
• Everyone is on their own journey to Allah.
• We do not realise how cruel we are to ourselves by depriving ourselves of actions for Allah.
• Being a Muhsin – a person who does good, who embodies the understanding of being part of the Muhsnineen – is fighting this oppression of oneself. 
• There is a joy from being a part of the Muhsineen, and there is a beautiful reward system for it. You benefit others, and benefit yourself with the sweetness of good actions.

وَلَقَدْ مَنَنَّا عَلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَهَـٰرُونَ ١١٤

“And We certainly showed favour to Moses and Aaron,” (37:114)

وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُمَا وَقَوْمَهُمَا مِنَ ٱلْكَرْبِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ١١٥

“and delivered them and their people from the great distress.” (37:115)

وَنَصَرْنَـٰهُمْ فَكَانُوا۟ هُمُ ٱلْغَـٰلِبِينَ ١١٦

“We helped them so it was they who prevailed.” (37:116)

وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ٱلْمُسْتَبِينَ ١١٧

“We gave them the clear Scripture,” (37:117)

وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُمَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ ١١٨

“and guided them to the Straight Path.” (37:118)

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِمَا فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ ١١٩

“And We blessed them with honourable mention among later generations:” (37:119)

سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَهَـٰرُونَ ١٢٠

““Peace be upon Moses and Aaron.”” (37:120)

إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ١٢١

“Indeed, this is how We reward the good-doers.” (37:121)

إِنَّهُمَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ١٢٢

“They were truly two of Our faithful servants.” (37:122)

In these Ayahs, Allah is giving us examples of the ways in which He rewarded the good-doers; these came in the forms of gifts and favours from Allah. Here, He is drawing our attention to what He gives us when we direct all our actions and intentions towards Allah.

• Musa (AS) and Harun (AS) had to stand up against the great oppressor Firaun, and for their efforts, they were rewarded tremendously. They will be remembered for all of time.
• Allah does not only reward the Prophets (AS), but the Muhsineen; the good-doers. We can also be of these people; of those who sacrifice for the sake of Allah. We get the assistance of Allah for these actions.
• Musa (AS) and Harun (AS) drew their strength from Allah. Even if Harun (AS) was not as strong as Musa (AS); as dynamic an orator as him; he was still chosen and still given the help of Allah.

وَإِنَّ إِلْيَاسَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ ١٢٣

“And Elias was indeed one of the messengers.” (37:123)

The theme of Surah Saffat is Tawhid, the oneness of Allah.
Why Allah mentions Ilyas (AS) is because he goes to the people to pull them away from idol worshipping and to Allah. This story goes back to the effort Muhammad (SAW) put into the people of Makkah who committed Kufr. Allah here shows us the efforts of the Muhsineen to make sure that Tawhid prevails and remains unaffected.

إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِۦٓ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ١٢٤

“Remember when he said to his people, “Will you not fear Allah?” (37:124)

أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلًۭا وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ ٱلْخَـٰلِقِينَ ١٢٥

“Do you call upon the idol of Ba’l and abandon the Best of Creators–” (37:125)

ٱللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَرَبَّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ١٢٦

“Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers?”” (37:126)

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ ١٢٧

“But they rejected him, so they will certainly be brought for punishment.” (37:127)

Consider this question: how can we turn to anything else when we look at the way Allah has created things? Allah created everything in the best possible ways.
No matter what other people can have or make, there is nothing that can compare to the perfect creation of Allah. Ilyas (AS) tried to show this truth to the people who had gone astray.

إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ ١٢٨

“But not the chosen servants of Allah.” (37:128)

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ ١٢٩

“We blessed him with honourable mention among later generations:” (37:129)

سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِلْ يَاسِينَ ١٣٠

““Peace be upon Elias.”” (37:130)

إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ١٣١

“Indeed, this is how We reward the good-doers.” (37:131)

إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ١٣٢

“He was truly one of Our faithful servants.” (37:132)

We know neither the parents of Ilyas (AS), nor his family, nor where he was from. All we know is that he made a sacrifice for the Tawhid of Allah, and that he was of the Muhsineen.

As believers, we must strive to acquire the very things the Prophets (AS) had. These include the favour of Allah, honourable mention for our sacrifices for Allah, the greeting of peace, and to be of the good-doers; to be faithful servants in the path of Allah.