مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do. (Surah al-Nahl: 97)
The one who has Iman (and gender doesn’t matter!) and sincerely performs good deeds – then Allah will cause him to live a good life ‘hayatan tayyibah’.
So what does this mean?
Allah will grant such people a clean, pure and pleasing life, and a life spent in His obedience. Allah will give them the tawfeeq to perform good deeds, and also grant them tranquility, ease, comfort and good character. They will also be given contentment on halal provision, no matter how small it may seemingly be to others.
However, a good life ‘hayatan tayyibah’ is not necessarily a materialistic life. It is also contentment of the heart. A person may face difficulties, trials and setbacks, but the heart is at peace because Allah frees it from everything that would place it in anguish.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Strange is the affair of the believer; verily all his affairs are good for him. If something pleasing befalls him, he thanks (Allah) and it becomes better for him. And if something harmful befalls him, he is patient and it becomes better for him. And this is only for the believer”. [Sahih Muslim]
So ‘hayatan tayyibah’ is connected to both a person’s inner and outer conditions. Allah not only gives him halal rizq and a comfortable life, but more importantly, he is given peace and contentment of the heart in every situation.
And a person can get this only when he sets his priorities right and works for the Akhirah; when he prefers the delights of the hereafter over the fleeting desires of this Dunya.
So such people – the believers, whether male or female, who sincerely perform righteous deeds – Allah will give them ‘hayatan tayyibah’ in this Dunya, and a huge reward in the Akhirah according to the best of what they did. Such a reward that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard and no heart has ever perceived.
