The worldly life consequences of obedience to Allah in the Qur'an

Like all human behaviors, religious behaviors also have various purposes and objectives. Among these, the expectations of avoiding punishment and receiving rewards hold an important place. Many verses in the Qur'an offer otherworldly promises as a return for individual and social religious behaviors (faith and obedience, disbelief and rebellion). However, some verses express, either directly or indirectly, that these behaviors have consequences in worldly life as well. The majority of the verses that discuss the worldly consequences mostly pertain to negative religious behaviors (disbelief and rebellion). Nonetheless, there are also a substantial number of verses concerning the rewards of positive behaviors (faith and obedience). In this study, focus has been placed on certain verses that indicate or interpret the worldly consequences of faith and obedience. The thematic exegesis method has been the foundation of this study. Explanations and interpretations of the verses have been compiled and comparatively analyzed from selected exegesis works. Verses indicating the worldly consequences of faith and obedience, when evaluated only in a material/concrete sense, can contradict the ordinary flow of life events as well as different verses and hadiths. Exegetes, aware of this situation, often find it problematic from various perspectives. Therefore, they frequently attempt to interpret these as spiritual/abstract rewards. Moreover, through concepts like Sunnatullah, fitrah, and hikmah, the effects that emerge within the cause-and-effect relationships of such behaviors are discussed. This approach is more pronounced and explicit in modern exegesis works, where sociological implications are predominant. In conclusion, it would be more appropriate to interpret verses indicating the worldly consequences of faith and obedience from a spiritual/abstract perspective rather than a material/concrete one. Most of these verses are also suitable for association with the afterlife. Some can be interpreted as psychological or social effects within the framework of cause-and-effect relationships.