Quran Garden

Do not underestimate the good that you do.  When you act sincerely for Allah, He can magnify even the smallest deed beyond what you imagine.  Let's explore together.

Session 615

Chapter 4

Verse 40

a continuation

God does not wrong anyone by as much as the weight of a speck: And if it's a good deed, He multiplies it and gives a mighty wage direct from Him. (Chapter 4: verse 40)

The phrase, "And if it's a good deed," refers to any good deed, no matter how small, even if it is as minute as a speck.  God will multiply it for you.  More importantly, while God speaks about the good deed and its multiplication, He does not mention the evil deed in the same way.  Why?  Because the evil deed is either forgiven or counted as one, it is never multiplied.  Allah highlights the multiplication of good deeds in many verses.  Listen to the following Aya,

The metaphor of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah is that of a grain which produces seven ears; in every ear there are a hundred grains.  Allah gives such multiplied increase to whomever He wills.  Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing. (2:261)

So there is a huge difference between God's accounting system for good deeds and that for evil ones.  The good is multiplied by a minimum of tenfold up to seven hundredfold.  And God may grant you more yet.  Think of it this way: when we hire someone, we typically start them at an entry-level position and tell them that if they work hard and excel, they can rise through the ranks.  In contrast, if you hire a qualified family member you love and trust, you may elevate them to a much higher position, bypassing many steps.  How about the Lord of the Worlds?  Wouldn't He do the same for the servants He likes?  He says, "And if it's a good deed, He multiplies it and gives a mighty wage direct from Him," meaning the great reward is from the Almighty directly.  It is what we call "pure favor," because it is unearned and undeserved, but a gift from the All-generous.  We ask: why would Allah call it a "wage"?  A "wage," after all, is payment for work.  We answer that God's favor comes attached to the wage.  If you did not perform that good deed –even if it is as small as a speck- you would not be eligible for God's vast favor.

Allah gives us examples from our surroundings so we can begin to grasp the enormity of His reward system.  If you plant a single grain in fertile soil, it will grow a stalk that carries seven ears of corn, and each ear has a hundred grains.  So if the soil, a matter created by God, gives you a seven-hundredfold return, then how much would Allah, the Creator of the earth, give?  Thus, the phrase "a mighty wage direct from Him" opens a door of gifts and rewards befitting God's generosity.  The earth yields a crop according to your effort and the nutrients within it, multiplying the seed seven hundredfold, even for the farmer who does not believe in God.  Then how about the One in whose hand is all goodness—the Creator, the All-Generous?  How would He treat the believer?  Surely, God's gifts are without limit.

Remember that the illustrations in the Quran, such as the example of grains of corn, are meant only to help us begin to comprehend realities that lie far beyond our full understanding.  We are created from earthly elements, yet when the soul enters the body, it brings life; when it departs, you become a corpse decomposing into the original elements.  The soul is the source of life, the cause of every organ's growth and function.  Yet we know nothing of its true nature.  We cannot see it, measure it, or detect it.  So if we can't even fully understand our own souls, we shouldn't be surprised when we are told that our Lord is not limited by space, time, or resources.  Some realities are simply beyond what we can fully understand.  He says,

Eyesight cannot perceive Him, but He perceives eyesight.  He is the All-Subtle, the All-Aware. (6:103)

Yes, this is true, because if the soul, which is a creation of Allah, cannot be seen, do you expect the Creator to be comprehended?  It is impossible.  Likewise, when we read "He multiplies it and gives a mighty wage direct from Him," we pause and focus on the phrase "direct from Him," realizing there is a difference between the laws of giving on the one hand and direct giving from Allah on the other.  When you receive directly from God, you bypass all the means and intermediaries.  The reward is beyond your wildest imagination.  We find a similar example in the story of our beloved Moses, who went to meet the righteous servant, Al-Khidr.   God says,

They found a servant of Ours whom We had granted mercy from Us and whom We had also given knowledge direct from Us.  (18:65)

The righteous servant was taught directly by Allah, without any human intermediary.  So profound was his knowledge that even a great Prophet, our beloved Moses, peace be upon him, came to learn from Al-Khidr about matters of faith and divine decree that seemed to contradict worldly laws and customs.  Likewise, Allah respects your work and pays a hefty wage for your good deed, not according to the size of your deed, not according to the laws and customs of giving, but a reward befitting the Almighty Himself.

May Allah reward you immensely for every second you spend with the Quran.  Amen.