Skip to content

notifications_active Weekly Meshkat-e Noor Session: Thursdays at 20:30 at Haj Reza Mosque

languageEN
login Login
Question No. 3624 10 September 2026 Official answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) verified سطح محتوا: مقدماتی

تفاوت اجر عظیم و اجر کریم در قرآن چیست؟

Primary reference: See the answer text 62 views 23 explanatory notes and annotations
Verified answer Documented and evidence-based
Dear questioner, Master Ali Saei
Tracking code: #Q-3624

Dear teacher, what is the difference in the Qur’an between a great reward and a generous reward?

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

إِنَّمَا تُنْذِرُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الذِّكْرَ وَخَشِيَ الرَّحْمَٰنَ بِالْغَيْبِ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍ وَأَجْرٍ كَرِيمٍ
َّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ

Subject category: Quran and Exegesis

The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)

In the Qur’an, a “generous reward” is one bestowed with special love, unstinting generosity, exceptional grace and abundance; it is usually accompanied by forgiveness and blessing. A “great reward” also conveys intensity and power, in addition to divine grace, and the Qur’an can speak of a great punishment as well. It does not describe punishment as “generous” in this way. Every generous reward is great, but not every great reward is necessarily generous.

Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)

Teacher and researcher in the intellectual tradition of wisdom and the Ahl al-Bayt | Soroush Bamdadān Cultural Center

A sense of *Karīm*, in light of the gracious gifts of the Ṣaḥīfa Sajjadiyya: “special love, special generosity, special kindness, special abundance, generosity without reproach, generosity given from the outset, generosity without expectation, the weight of a blessing, tender-hearted generosity.”

*Karīm* is an attribute bestowed only upon the righteous. فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَريمٌ
A reward without equal: a *generous provision*.

Generosity is paired with forgiveness. َ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَ رِزْقٌ كَريم‏

Generosity speaks of blessing and blessedness! إِنَّهُ لَقُرْآنٌ كَريم‏، َ وَ جاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ كَريم‏

Generosity is exceptional. مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَريمٍ

One might say that every *karīm* reward is great, but perhaps not that every great reward is also *karīm* (Allah knows best).

*ʿAẓīm* is an attribute that, beyond kindness, also conveys intensity and power—as in “great bounty” and “great reward,” as opposed to “great punishment.” The attribute *ʿaẓīm* can apply to things and deeds, even those that are not good, as in “a momentous day,” “a mighty plot,” and “a great injustice.”

A great reward may be accompanied by great punishment, but no such description is used of a *karīm* reward!

حَمْداً نُعْتَقُ بِهِ مِنْ أَلِيمِ نَارِ اللَّهِ إِلَى كَرِيمِ جِوَارِ اللَّه‏
اللَّهُمَّ وَ إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى مَلَائِكَتِكَ وَ رُسُلِكَ وَ بَلَّغْتَهُمْ صَلَاتَنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فَصَلِّ عَلَيْنَا بِمَا فَتَحْتَ لَنَا مِنْ حُسْنِ الْقَوْلِ فِيهِمْ، إِنَّكَ جَوَادٌ كَرِيمٌ.
وَ اجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ عَوْناً لِي وَ سَبَباً لِنَجَاحِ طَلِبَتِي، إِنَّكَ وَاسِعٌ كَرِيم‏
إِنَّكَ الْمُتَفَضِّلُ بِالْإِحْسَانِ، الْمُتَطَوِّلُ بِالامْتِنَانِ، الْوَهَّابُ الْكَرِيمُ، ذُو الْجَلالِ وَ الْإِكْرامِ.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ إِنْ صَرَفْتَ عَنِّي وَجْهَكَ الْكَرِيمَ أَوْ مَنَعْتَنِي فَضْلَكَ الْجَسِيم‏
فَإِنَّكَ وَاسِعٌ كَرِيم‏
إِنَّكَ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ، وَ أَنْتَ الْجَوَادُ الْكَرِيمُ.
إِنَّكَ مَنَّانٌ كَرِيم‏
إِنَّكَ ذُو رَحْمَةٍ وَاسِعَةٍ، وَ فَضْلٍ كَرِيم‏
كَرَماً مِنْ عَفْوِكَ يَا كَرِيم‏
وَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، الْكَرِيمُ الْمُتَكَرِّمُ،
وَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، الْكَرِيمُ الْأَكْرَم‏
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، الْحَلِيمُ الْكَرِيمُ الْحَنَّانُ الْمَنَّان‏
وَ بِجَلَالِ وَجْهِكَ الْكَرِيم‏

Did you find this answer illuminating? Your feedback helps us refine our responses and organize future sessions.
Audio attachment: This question currently has no audio file; the answer is provided in written form, with supporting arguments.

Related questions

Official answers
Question #3100
How can food-based sorcery or magic be nullified?
Critique of Doubts • 31 August 2022
Question #1842
An explanation of the Prophet’s hadith about Lady Fatima’s (SA) tent?
Ahl al-Bayt and Islamic History • 20 August 2022
Question #272
Why is Imam Husayn (AS) known as the son of Sidrat al-Muntaha?
Ahl al-Bayt and Islamic History • 17 July 2022
Question #334
Question #3099
How can we visit the House of God from afar?
Jurisprudence and Rulings • 31 August 2022