Quran Verses about Racing in good deeds

وَلِكُلّٖ وِجۡهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَاۖ فَٱسۡتَبِقُواْ ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِۚ أَيۡنَ مَا تَكُونُواْ يَأۡتِ بِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ ١٤٨

Walikulliw wijhatun huwa muwallīhā, fastabiqul-khayrāt, ayna mā takūnū yaʾti bikumullāhu jamīʿā, innallāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr.

For each [religious following] is a [prayer] direction toward which it faces. So race to [all that is] good. Wherever you may be, Allāh will bring you forth [for judgement] all together. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.

وَأَنزَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ مُصَدِّقٗا لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَمُهَيۡمِنًا عَلَيۡهِۖ فَٱحۡكُم بَيۡنَهُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَآءَهُمۡ عَمَّا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّۚ لِكُلّٖ جَعَلۡنَا مِنكُمۡ شِرۡعَةٗ وَمِنۡهَاجٗاۚ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَبۡلُوَكُمۡ فِي مَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمۡۖ فَٱسۡتَبِقُواْ ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِۚ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ جَمِيعٗا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ فِيهِ تَخۡتَلِفُونَ ٤٨

Wa anzalnā ilaykal-kitāba bil-ḥaqqi muṣaddiqal limā bayna yadayhi minal-kitābi wa muhayminan ʿalayh, faḥkum baynahum bimā anzalallāh, wa lā tattabiʿ ahwāʾahum ʿammā jāʾaka minal-ḥaqq, likullin jaʿalnā minkum shirʿataw wa minhājā, wa law shāʾallāhu lajaʿalakum ummataw wāḥidataw wa lākil liyabluwakum fī mā ātākum, fastabiqul-khayrāt, ilallāhi marjiʿukum jamīʿan fayunabbiʾukum bimā kuntum fīhi takhtalifūn.

And We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allāh has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed a law and a method.¹ Had Allāh willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good.² To Allāh is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.

۞ وَسَارِعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ مَغۡفِرَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرۡضُهَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ أُعِدَّتۡ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ ١٣٣

Wa sāriʿū ilā maghfiratim mir rabbikum wa jannatin ʿarḍuhas-samāwātu wal-arḍu uʿiddat lil-muttaqīn.

And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden [i.e., Paradise] as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous

سَابِقُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ مَغۡفِرَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرۡضُهَا كَعَرۡضِ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ أُعِدَّتۡ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤۡتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلۡفَضۡلِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٢١

Sābiqū ilā maghfiratim mir rabbikum wa jannatin ʿarḍuhā kaʿarḍis-samāʾi wal-arḍi uʿiddat lil-ladhīna āmanū billāhi wa rusulih, dhālika faḍlullāhi yuʾtīhi may yashāʾ, wallāhu dhul-faḍlil-ʿaẓīm.

Race [i.e., compete] toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allāh and His messengers. That is the bounty of Allāh which He gives to whom He wills, and Allāh is the possessor of great bounty.

يُسۡقَوۡنَ مِن رَّحِيقٖ مَّخۡتُومٍ ٢٥

Yusqawna mir raḥīqim makhtūm.

They will be given to drink [pure] wine¹ [which was] sealed.

خِتَٰمُهُۥ مِسۡكٞۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكَ فَلۡيَتَنَافَسِ ٱلۡمُتَنَٰفِسُونَ ٢٦

Khitāmuhū misk, wa fī dhālika falyatanāfasil-mutanāfisūn.

The last of it¹ is musk. So for this let the competitors compete.

۞ لَيۡسُواْ سَوَآءٗۗ مِّنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ أُمَّةٞ قَآئِمَةٞ يَتۡلُونَ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَهُمۡ يَسۡجُدُونَ ١١٣

Laysū sawāʾā, min ahlil-kitābi ummatun qāʾimatuy yatlūna āyātillāhi ānāʾal-layli wa hum yasjudūn.

They are not [all] the same; among the People of the Scripture is a community¹ standing [in obedience], reciting the verses of Allāh during periods of the night and prostrating [in prayer].

يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ وَيَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيُسَٰرِعُونَ فِي ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ١١٤

Yuʾminūna billāhi wal-yawmil-ākhiri wa yaʾmurūna bil-maʿrūfi wa yanhawna ʿanil-munkari wa yusāriʿūna fil-khayrāt, wa ulāʾika minaṣ-ṣāliḥīn.

They believe in Allāh and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous.

فَٱسۡتَجَبۡنَا لَهُۥ وَوَهَبۡنَا لَهُۥ يَحۡيَىٰ وَأَصۡلَحۡنَا لَهُۥ زَوۡجَهُۥٓۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِي ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِ وَيَدۡعُونَنَا رَغَبٗا وَرَهَبٗاۖ وَكَانُواْ لَنَا خَٰشِعِينَ ٩٠

Fastajabnā lahū wa wahabnā lahū yaḥyā wa aṣlaḥnā lahū zawjah, innahum kānū yusāriʿūna fil-khayrāti wa yadʿūnanā raghabaw wa rahabā, wa kānū lanā khāshiʿīn.

So We responded to him, and We gave to him John, and amended for him his wife. Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate¹ Us in hope and fear, and they were to Us humbly submissive.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ خَشۡيَةِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ ٥٧

Innal-ladhīna hum min khashyati rabbihim mushfiqūn.

Indeed, they who are apprehensive from fear of their Lord

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٥٨

Wal-ladhīna hum biʾāyāti rabbihim yuʾminūn.

And they who believe in the signs of their Lord

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِرَبِّهِمۡ لَا يُشۡرِكُونَ ٥٩

Wal-ladhīna hum birabbihim lā yushrikūn.

And they who do not associate anything with their Lord

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡتُونَ مَآ ءَاتَواْ وَّقُلُوبُهُمۡ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ رَٰجِعُونَ ٦٠

Wal-ladhīna yuʾtūna mā ātaw wa qulūbuhum wajilatun annahum ilā rabbihim rājiʿūn.

And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful¹ because they will be returning to their Lord -

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِي ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِ وَهُمۡ لَهَا سَٰبِقُونَ ٦١

Ulāʾika yusāriʿūna fil-khayrāti wa hum lahā sābiqūn.

It is those who hasten to good deeds, and they outstrip [others] therein.

ثُمَّ أَوۡرَثۡنَا ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصۡطَفَيۡنَا مِنۡ عِبَادِنَاۖ فَمِنۡهُمۡ ظَالِمٞ لِّنَفۡسِهِۦ وَمِنۡهُم مُّقۡتَصِدٞ وَمِنۡهُمۡ سَابِقُۢ بِٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِ بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَضۡلُ ٱلۡكَبِيرُ ٣٢

Thumma awrathnal-kitābal-ladhīnaṣṭafaynā min ʿibādinā, faminhum ẓālimul linafsihī wa minhum muqtaṣiduw wa minhum sābiqum bil-khayrāti biʾidhnillāh, dhālika huwal-faḍlul-kabīr.

Then We caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants;¹ and among them is he who wrongs himself [i.e., sins], and among them is he who is moderate, and among them is he who is foremost in good deeds by permission of Allāh. That [inheritance] is what is the great bounty.

وَٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ ٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ ١٠

Was-sābiqūnas-sābiqūn.

And the forerunners, the forerunners¹ -

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ ١١

Ulāʾikal-muqarrabūn.

Those are the ones brought near [to Allāh]