Surah 2, al-Baqara, Medina 87

The Quranic Text & Ali’s translation:

بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ ...

2: 112. Nay, whoever submits his whole self to God and is a doer of good, he will get his reward with his Lord;

... وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿١١٢﴾

on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

Bala_ man aslama wajhahu_ lilla_hi wa huwa muhsinun falahu_ ajruhu_ 'inda rabbih(i), wa la_ khaufun 'alaihim wa la_ hum yahzanu_n(a).

Other translations:

2: 112

Asad

……shall have his reward with his Sustainer; and all such need have no fear, and neither shall they grieve [note 91 & 92].

Pickthall

Nay, but whosoever surrendereth his purpose to Allah while doing good, his reward is with his Lord; and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.

******************************************

Amatulla’s comment:

The Quran, in many places, has given the universal symptoms of truly righteous people: people of no fear and no grief, here and Hereafter. It is not that a righteous person would not have any grief or fear at all, but these would be temporary and they would overcome with the trust and submission to the Will of God. And again, the Quran is expounding that righteous people can come from any brand of faith, there is no exclusivity of that in relation to a brand of faith or race or nationhood. These criteria are not restricted to the followers of Prophet Muhammad.

Ali’s comments:

114. The word translated "self" is Wajh, a comprehensive Arabic word. It means;

1. literally "face" but it may imply;

2. countenance or favour, as in 92:20;

3. honour, glory, Presence as applied to Allah, as in 2:115 and perhaps also in 55:27;

4. cause, sake ("for the sake of") as in 76:9;

5. the first part, the beginning as in 3:72;

6. nature, inner being, essence, self, as in 28:88, and perhaps also in 55:27.

Here I understand meaning 6; the face expresses the personality or the whole inner self of man. (R).

115 This phrase comes in aptly in its own context many times. In this Sura it occurs in 11, 38, 62, 112, 262, 274, and 277. It serves the same purpose as a refrain in a very well-arranged song, or a motif in Wagner's powerful music. (2.112)

Asad’s comments:

notes 91 & 92 - …………and it is in this sense that the terms “islam” and “muslim” are used throughout the Quran (see note on 68:35, where the expression ‘muslim’ occurs for the first time in the chronological order of revelation.)

Thus, according to the Quran, salvation is not reserved for any particular “denomination”, but is open to everyone who consciously realizes the oneness of God, surrender himself to His will and, by living righteously, gives practical effect to this spiritual attitude.