مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ ۖ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ بَاقٍ ۗ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوٓا۟ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ 96
Translations
Whatever you have will end, but what Allāh has is lasting. And We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do.
Transliteration
Maa AAindakum yanfadu wa maa AAinda Allahi baqin wa lanajziyana allatheena sabaru ajrahum bi-ahsan ma kanoo yaamaloona
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah contrasts the transient nature of worldly possessions with the eternal nature of Allah's rewards, emphasizing that material wealth and resources will eventually be depleted while what is with Allah remains permanent. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir note that Allah promises those who exercise patience (sabr) will receive rewards commensurate with the best of their deeds, surpassing the value of any worldly gain. The ayah serves as both a consolation for believers enduring hardship and a reminder of the ultimate reality of the Hereafter.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Nahl, a Meccan chapter revealed during the early persecution of Muslims. It addresses the Meccan believers facing material hardship and loss while the disbelievers enjoyed temporary wealth, reassuring them that earthly resources are ephemeral and that patient endurance will be rewarded with eternal blessings far superior to any temporary worldly advantage.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Tirmidhi). More directly related: 'Indeed, with hardship comes ease' (94:5), emphasizing that patience through difficulty yields divine reward—a principle exemplified throughout the Quran including this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should not be distressed by the temporary loss of worldly possessions or the apparent prosperity of the ungodly, as all material wealth is ultimately perishable while Allah's rewards for patient, righteous action are eternal and incomparably greater. This ayah encourages prioritizing spiritual development and moral integrity over accumulation of fleeting material gains.
Related Ayahs
وَعَلَـٰمَـٰتٍ ۚ وَبِٱلنَّجْمِ هُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ
And landmarks. And by the stars they are [also] guided.
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ 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.
أَمْوَٰتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَآءٍ ۖ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ
They are [in fact] dead, not alive, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوا۟ وَّٱلَّذِينَ هُم مُّحْسِنُونَ
Indeed, Allāh is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.