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
وَإِذَا رَءَا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ
And when those who wronged see the punishment, it will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved.
وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا۟ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِۦ ۖ وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِّلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
And if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient.
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَزْوَٰجِكُم بَنِينَ وَحَفَدَةً وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ ۚ أَفَبِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَبِنِعْمَتِ ٱللَّهِ هُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ
And Allāh has made for you from yourselves mates and has made for you from your mates sons and grandchildren and has provided for you from the good things. Then in falsehood do they believe and in the favor of Allāh they disbelieve?
شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
[He was] grateful for His favors. He [i.e., Allāh] chose him and guided him to a straight path.