Near-synonyms 7: good and bad deeds; reward and punishment

Good deeds

صالِحات / حَسَنات

These two terms have a very close usage. One may note, however, that the word حسنة is most often used in the singular in the Qur’an (twice in the plural). It is opposed to the word سيّئة. Its root means « beautiful », « good ».

As for the word صالحة, it is used only in the plural and generally preceded by the verb عمِل. Its root evokes something « sound », « upright », « in good condition ». It has no systematic opposite, but it can be opposed to the root ف س د (corrupt, degraded, unhealthy) or to the root س ي ء, as for the term حسنة.

مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجْزَى إِلَّا مِثْلَهَا
Whoever comes with a good deed will receive ten times its like; and whoever comes with a bad deed will be rewarded only with its like. (6:160)

إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ
Indeed, good deeds drive away bad ones. (11:114)

أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ
Shall We treat those who believe and do righteous works like those who spread corruption on earth? Or shall We treat the mindful like the wicked? (38:28)

وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَلَا الْمُسِيءُ
The blind and the seeing are not equal, nor are those who believe and do good works and those who do evil. (40:58)

Bad deeds and sins

سَيِّئة

This term literally designates the « bad » action. Its root is found in the Qur’anic term سُوء, « evil ».

إِنْ تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُمْ مُدْخَلًا كَرِيمًا
If you avoid the gravest [actions] forbidden to you, We will efface your bad deeds and admit you to an honourable place. (4:31)

إثْم

It is difficult to distinguish this term from the next (ذَنْب), both commonly meaning « sin ». They are thus generally considered synonyms. One can nevertheless distinguish them by their etymology: the root of this first term evokes notably slowness and delay, and according to some linguists, إثم would originally come from « falling short » with respect to the good.

لَئِنْ بَسَطْتَ إِلَيَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِي مَا أَنَا بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِيَ إِلَيْكَ لِأَقْتُلَكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ تَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِي وَإِثْمِكَ فَتَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ
If you stretch out your hand to kill me, I will not stretch out my hand to kill you. I fear God, the Lord of the worlds. What I want is that you bear my sin and yours, and become one of the inhabitants of the Fire; and such is the reward of the unjust! (5:28-29)

ذَنْب

This term is built on the same root as the word ذَنَب, which designates « the tail ». By extension, it refers to all that comes after — and thus, the consequences. The word ذَنْب would thus originally be used to designate that whose consequences one disapproves, and consequently, sins.

وَلَهُمْ عَلَيَّ ذَنْبٌ فَأَخَافُ أَنْ يَقْتُلُونِ
They have a fault to reproach me with, and I fear they may kill me. (26:14)

جُناح

The root of this term evokes inclination. It thus refers to actions that « deviate » from good conduct, the « deviances ».

لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ
There is no blame upon you for seeking a favour from your Lord. (2:198)

حُوب و حَوْب

This term evokes a failure in one’s duties, particularly towards dependents. It is, it seems, in this precise sense that it should be understood in the only Qur’anic verse where it appears:

وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَى أَمْوَالِكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حُوبًا كَبِيرًا
Do not consume their property along with your own: it is truly a great failure of duty. (4:2)

خَطَأ و خطيئة

The first of these two terms has a very broad sense, for it designates faults, whether voluntary or not. Linguists generally indicate that the second designates intentional faults.

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ أَنْ يَقْتُلَ مُؤْمِنًا إِلَّا خَطَأً
It is not for a believer (or loyal one) to kill another believer, except by mistake. (4:92)

وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ
And it is He who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the Day of Judgement. (26:82)

زَلَل

The root of this term means « to slip ». It is thus a « false step », that is, a bad action that is exceptional. The Qur’an uses only the verbal form of this root.

وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا
Do not use your oaths as a means of deceit among yourselves, lest a foot slip after having been firm. (16:94)

لَمَم

The verb أَلَمَّ means « to lean furtively over something » or « to glance quickly ». Consequently, according to commentators, لَمَم means either a bad action committed only once, or an action contemplated but not committed, or a small sin. One could thus translate it as « a passing fault ».

الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنْتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَى
Those who avoid the gravest sins and indecencies, committing only passing faults. Indeed, your Lord’s forgiveness is vast. He knows you best, since He created you from the earth and since you were embryos in the wombs of your mothers. So do not claim purity for yourselves: He knows best who is mindful. (53:32)

Rewards and retributions

ثواب

The root of this word evokes return. It is thus literally what « comes back to us » in retribution for our acts. The word ثواب is always used positively in the Qur’an.

فَآتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا وَحُسْنَ ثَوَابِ الْآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
So God gave them the reward due to them here below, as well as the fine reward due to them in the Hereafter. And God loves the doers of good. (3:148)

أجر

This word originally designates the wage given to one whose services or goods are hired. It is therefore, so to speak, a form of « contractual » reward. It is always used in a positive sense in the Qur’an.

وَجَاءَ السَّحَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ قَالُوا إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِنْ كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَالِبِينَ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ
And the magicians came to Pharaoh, saying: « Will there really be a wage for us if we are the victors? » He said: « Yes, and you will certainly be among the close [courtiers]. » (7:113-114)

جزاء

This word refers to a reward not necessarily linked to a contract or a counterpart determined in advance. It can therefore be used for a reward granted gratuitously. It is used both positively and negatively in the Qur’an.

Note: one cannot conclude « contracts » with God concerning the performance of bad actions. Perhaps this is the secret of these two distinct usages.

وَجَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِثْلُهَا فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ
And the retribution of an evil is an evil like it. But whoever pardons and works for concord, his reward falls upon God. Indeed, God does not love the unjust. (42:40)