Transliteration:( Lillazeenas tajaaboo lirabbihimul husnaa; wallazeena lam yastajeeboo lahoo law anna lahum maa fil ardi jamee'anw wa mislahoo ma'ahoo laftadaw bih; ulaaa'ika lahum sooo'ul hisaab; wa ma'waahum Jahannamu wa bi'sal mihaad )
"For those who responded to their Lord’s call [53], there is the best reward [54]. And those who did not respond to Him [55], if they had all that is on the earth and twice as much, they would have used it to ransom themselves [56]. They are the ones who will face a severe reckoning [57], and their abode is Hell—an evil place to rest [58]."
This refers to those who believed and obeyed the command of Allah by accepting the guidance of the Holy Prophet ﷺ wholeheartedly.
Allah does not grant commands to the disobedient or unworthy — guidance is for those with sincerity and submission.
The “best reward” (al-husna) is Jannah, which includes all blessings, especially the vision of Allah Almighty, as cherished by the righteous.
According to the Sufis, Paradise is beloved not merely for its pleasures but because it is the place of Divine encounter.
The preposition “لهم” (for them) implies ownership—the dwellers of Paradise will have complete dominion and enjoyment of it.
The phrase points to infidels who refused faith entirely, as made clear by the context that follows.
A distinction is drawn: sinful believers accept faith but may neglect practice, while disbelievers reject it outright.
If disbelievers possessed everything on earth, twice over, they would still not be able to ransom themselves from Hell.
Unlike them, believers pay their ransom in this world through Zakaat, Kaffarah, Qurbani, etc.—acts of worship and charity that purify and atone.
Severe accounting will be the lot of the disbelievers.
In contrast, believers will have an easier reckoning, and some will be forgiven immediately upon presentation in Divine Court, without questioning.
Hell is the permanent abode of disbelievers, but not of sinful believers.
If some believers are sent there due to their sins, it will be temporary.
Just as a furnace is meant for coal and not gold, Hell is not the true destination of those who hold faith, even if temporarily admitted.
18. For those who answered their Lord’s call is Al-Husna. But those who answered not His call, if they had all that is in the earth together with its like, they would offer it in order to save themselves. For them there will be the terrible reckoning. Their dwelling place will be Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.
Allah mentions the final destination of the blessed ones and the wretched ones,
(For those who answered their Lord’s call) obeyed Allah and followed His Messenger (Muhammad, peace be upon him) by obeying his commands and believing in the narrations he brought about the past and the future, theirs will be,
(Al-Husna), which is the good reward. Allah said that Dhul-Qarnayn declared,
(As for him who does wrong, we shall punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with a terrible torment (Hell). But as for him who believes and works righteousness, he shall have the best reward (Al-Husna), and we shall speak unto him mild words by our command)﴿18: 87-88﴾ Allah said in another Ayah,
(For those who have done good is the best (Al-Husna) and even more.) ﴿10: 26﴾ Allah said next,
(But those who answered not His call,) disobeyed Allah,
(if they had all that is in the earth together) meaning, in the Hereafter. This Ayah says: Had the earth’s fill of gold and its like with it, they would try to ransom themselves from Allah’s torment at that time. However, this will not be accepted from them. Verily, Allah the Exalted will not accept any type of exchange from,
(For them there will be the terrible reckoning.) in the Hereafter, when they will be reckoned for the Naqir and the Qitmir, the big and the small. Verily, he who is reckoned in detail on that Day will receive punishment, hence Allah’s statement next,
(Their dwelling place will be Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.)
(13:18) There is good reward for those who respond to the call of their Lord. And those who do not respond to their Lord, (a time will come when) they shall offer all they have – even if they have all the riches of the world and the like of it besides to redeem themselves (from the chastisement of Allah).[33] They will be subjected to a severe reckoning[34] and Hell shall be their refuge. What a wretched resting place it is!
33. This shows that the disbelievers would be in such a sad plight that they would not hesitate to give their all for their redemption.
34. “Those will have the worst reckoning”: they shall have to bear the full consequences of their evil deeds. No sin, no shortcoming, in short, nothing will be forgiven and no evil shall go unpunished.
We learn from the Quran that the rebels of Allah shall have to render a reckoning, whereas there shall be a light reckoning from those who have been faithful and obedient to their Lord. In consideration of their loyal services, their cases will be dealt with leniently, and taking their general goodness into account many of their shortcomings will be forgiven.
This is further amplified by a tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Aishah relates: I said, O Messenger of Allah, the most dreadful verse of the Quran is this: “Whoso shall commit an evil, he shall be punished for it. (Surah An-Nisa, Ayat 123).” The Prophet answered: O Aishah, don’t you know how Allah clears the accounts of His faithful and obedient servant. Whatever harm or trouble he receives in this world, even so much as the pricking of a thorn, is taken by Allah as atonement for one or the other of his sins. As regards to the Hereafter, everyone who shall be called upon to render an account of any sin, shall be punished for it. At this Aishah asked: Then what is meant by light reckoning in this verse: Whoso shall be given his “Book of Deeds” in his right hand, he will render a light reckoning? (Surah Al-Inshiqaq, Ayat 7-8). The Prophet (peace be upon him) answered: This means merely the presentation of his whole conduct, that is, all his deeds, good and bad, shall be presented before Allah but he shall not be called upon to clear the account of all his deeds; for the one who shall be called upon to clear the whole of his account, shall be totally ruined.
The same thing is happening even in this world. A master deals very leniently with his faithful and obedient servant and connives at his minor faults and even forgives his major faults in consideration of his meritorious services. On the other hand, if a servant is proved to be treacherous and dishonest, no consideration is given even to his services, and he is punished both for his minor and for major faults.
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