Quranic theme
Judgement
14 verses
To assume that those who commit evil deeds will be dealt with in the exact same way as those who believe and do righteous deeds—that their living and dying will be alike—is, the Quran states, a profound failure of logic (45:21). Judgement is not merely a distant apocalyptic event; it is an active, daily command governing human ethics, paired with the absolute certainty of divine reckoning. It demands strict impartiality from people in the present, while warning of a final hour when every hidden intention will be laid bare.
How must we judge between people? When individuals are placed in positions of authority or arbitration, the standard demanded of them leaves no room for personal bias. The instruction to judge with justice is inextricably linked to the physical command to return entrusted items to their rightful owners—a standard described as excellent because God hears and sees everything (4:58). This impartiality must hold firm regardless of bloodlines or personal grievances. Believers are instructed to speak justly even when a relative is involved (6:152). More rigorously, they are explicitly forbidden from allowing their hatred of others to steer them away from fairness, as adhering to justice is the closest state to being mindful of God (5:8).
This daily standard of fairness extends into commercial and social transactions. Giving full measure and weight is a divine command, grounded in the reassurance that God does not burden a soul with more than it can bear (6:152). These requirements of justice rest upon foundational moral boundaries: recognizing God alone, treating parents with goodness, refusing to take human life except by right, and staying far away from obscenities committed openly or in secret (6:151).
How does God resolve earthly disputes? Before the ultimate reckoning in the Hereafter, God passes legal judgement upon specific human affairs, issuing decrees to resolve social and familial fractures. When believing women emigrated to the Muslim community, God revealed a precise judgement regarding their marriages: they were to be tested for their faith, and if proven true, they could not be returned to disbelieving husbands (60:10). This ruling required the repayment of bride-gifts to the former husbands and permitted new marriages, with the text explicitly declaring, "This is God’s judgement: He judges between you." For circumstances where relief or legal resolution is delayed, the instruction is to await the Lord’s judgement with patience and refuse to yield to those who persist in sin or disbelief (76:24).
What defines the Final Judgement? Despite the skepticism of those who ask how they could possibly be brought to account after dying and becoming dust and bone (37:53), the text guarantees that this day will inevitably arrive (51:6). Throughout history, messengers were sent to point toward this reality, though none could bring about a sign except by God's permission (40:78). When the ordained moment finally comes, just judgement will be executed between all people, and those who followed falsehood will instantly be lost.
The defining characteristic of this final reckoning is its unyielding fairness. God declares that His word cannot be altered and that He is never unjust to any creature (50:29).
Because every earthly transaction, hidden hostility, and spoken word funnels toward a single, unavoidable certainty, the reality of judgement forces an immediate re-evaluation of how life is lived. The mandate to protect the property of orphans and honor parents (6:151-152) exists because no action vanishes into the past. On that Day, humanity will be brought forward, and not a single one of their secrets will remain hidden (69:18).
Verses
All 14 verses, in mushaf order.
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا۟ ٱلْأَمَـٰنَـٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُم بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ أَن تَحْكُمُوا۟ بِٱلْعَدْلِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُم بِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًا
God commands you [people] to return things entrusted to you to their rightful owners, and, if you judge between people, to do so with justice: God’s instructions to you are excellent, for He hears and sees everything.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَآءَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ ٱعْدِلُوا۟ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
You who believe, be steadfast in your devotion to God and bear witness impartially: do not let hatred of others lead you away from justice, but adhere to justice, for that is closer to awareness of God. Be mindful of God: God is well aware of all that you do.
۞ قُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ أَلَّا تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا ۖ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَوْلَـٰدَكُم مِّنْ إِمْلَـٰقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلنَّفْسَ ٱلَّتِى حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّىٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
Say, ‘Come! I will tell you what your Lord has really forbidden you. Do not ascribe anything as a partner to Him; be good to your parents; do not kill your children in fear of poverty’- We will provide for you and for them- ‘ stay well away from committing obscenities, whether openly or in secret; do not take the life God has made sacred, except by right. This is what He commands you to do: perhaps you will use your reason.
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ مَالَ ٱلْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ ۖ وَأَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْكَيْلَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۖ وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَٱعْدِلُوا۟ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰ ۖ وَبِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْفُوا۟ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّىٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Stay well away from the property of orphans, except with the best [intentions], until they come of age; give full measure and weight, according to justice’- We do not burden any soul with more than it can bear- ‘ when you speak, be just, even if it concerns a relative; keep any promises you make in God’s name. This is what He commands you to do, so that you may take heed’-
أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَـٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ
after we die and become dust and bone, we shall be brought for judgement?”’
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُم مَّن قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن لَّمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِىَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ قُضِىَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ ٱلْمُبْطِلُونَ
We have sent other messengers before you- some We have mentioned to you and some We have not- and no messenger could bring about a sign except with God’s permission. When [the Day] God ordained comes, just judgement will be passed between them: there and then, those who followed falsehood will be lost.
أَمْ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱجْتَرَحُوا۟ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَوَآءً مَّحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ ۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
Do those who commit evil deeds really think that We will deal with them in the same way as those who believe and do righteous deeds, that they will be alike in their living and their dying? How badly they judge!
مَا يُبَدَّلُ ٱلْقَوْلُ لَدَىَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِظَلَّـٰمٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
and My word cannot be changed: I am not unjust to any creature.’
وَإِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ لَوَٰقِعٌ
the Judgement will come––
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا جَآءَكُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ مُهَـٰجِرَٰتٍ فَٱمْتَحِنُوهُنَّ ۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَـٰنِهِنَّ ۖ فَإِنْ عَلِمْتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤْمِنَـٰتٍ فَلَا تَرْجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى ٱلْكُفَّارِ ۖ لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَّهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ ۖ وَءَاتُوهُم مَّآ أَنفَقُوا۟ ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ ۚ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوا۟ بِعِصَمِ ٱلْكَوَافِرِ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ مَآ أَنفَقْتُمْ وَلْيَسْـَٔلُوا۟ مَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ حُكْمُ ٱللَّهِ ۖ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
You who believe, test the believing women when they come to you as emigrants- God knows best about their faith- and if you are sure of their belief, do not send them back to the disbelievers: they are not lawful wives for them, nor are the disbelievers their lawful husbands. Give the disbelievers whatever bride-gifts they have paid- if you choose to marry them, there is no blame on you once you have paid their bride-gifts- and do not yourselves hold on to marriage ties with disbelieving women. Ask for repayment of the bride-gifts you have paid, and let the disbelievers do the same. This is God’s judgement: He judges between you, God is all knowing and wise.
يَوْمَئِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَىٰ مِنكُمْ خَافِيَةٌ
On that Day you will be brought to judgement and none of your secrets will remain hidden.
فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تُطِعْ مِنْهُمْ ءَاثِمًا أَوْ كَفُورًا
Await your Lord’s Judgement with patience; do not yield to any of these sinners or disbelievers;
كَلَّا بَلْ تُكَذِّبُونَ بِٱلدِّينِ
Yet you still take the Judgement to be a lie!
أَلَيْسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَحْكَمِ ٱلْحَـٰكِمِينَ
Is God not the most decisive of judges?