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
وَأَلْقَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ رَوَٰسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَأَنْهَـٰرًا وَسُبُلًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
And He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you, and [made] rivers and roads, that you may be guided,
ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ فَأَلْقَوُا۟ ٱلسَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِن سُوٓءٍۭ ۚ بَلَىٰٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
The ones whom the angels take in death [while] wronging themselves, and [who] then offer submission, [saying], "We were not doing any evil." But, yes! Indeed, Allāh is Knowing of what you used to do.
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُۥ بَشَرٌ ۗ لِّسَانُ ٱلَّذِى يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِىٌّ وَهَـٰذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِىٌّ مُّبِينٌ
And We certainly know that they say, "It is only a human being who teaches him [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)]." The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign, and this [recitation, i.e., Qur’ān] is [in] a clear Arabic language.
ثُمَّ كُلِى مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ فَٱسْلُكِى سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًا ۚ يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ فِيهِ شِفَآءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Then eat from all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord laid down [for you]." There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.