Surah An-Nahl — Verse 96

Word Meanings:

• Yanfad (يَنفَدُ): Comes to an end, diminishes, or is exhausted completely.
• Baqin (بَاقٍ): That which remains, endures, and is everlasting.
• Sabaru (صَبَرُوا): Those who remained patient and steadfast, particularly in fulfilling their covenants and enduring hardships.

Tafsir (Explanation):

O humanity, reflect on the reality of what you possess in this fleeting world. Everything you hold—wealth, pleasures, status, youth, and all the comforts of this life—is destined to vanish. No matter how abundant or long-lasting it may seem, it will inevitably come to an end, like a passing shadow or a fading flower. Yet what is with Allah—His rewards, His mercy, and His eternal Paradise—is everlasting and never diminishes. So why would a wise person choose the temporary over the eternal, the fading over the enduring?

Allah then makes a magnificent promise to those who exercise patience—particularly in remaining steadfast upon their covenants and obligations, even when fulfilling them is difficult or costly. Such believers who endure trials, control their desires, and remain true to their word will receive their reward in full, and not merely in equal measure. Rather, Allah will grant them the best of what they have done: He will multiply their good deeds from tenfold to seven hundredfold, and even beyond that to countless multiples. Their minor acts of goodness will be elevated to the rank of their greatest deeds, and their sins will be overlooked by His grace and mercy.

This verse carries a profound call to every soul: detach your heart from that which perishes and attach it to that which never ends. The treasures of this world are borrowed and temporary; the treasures of the Hereafter are real and permanent. When you patiently uphold your promises to Allah and to people, when you persevere through hardship without breaking your word, you are investing in a bank that never fails and a reward that never runs out.

Let this be a source of hope and motivation for you, dear believer. Every act of patience, every kept promise, every moment of self-restraint is being recorded and will be returned to you in the most generous form. Allah does not waste the effort of those who strive for His sake. So be among the patient ones, and look forward to a reward beyond your imagination—a reward that remains when everything else has faded away.