Onthur kayfa faddalna baAAdahum AAala baAAdin walal-akhiratu akbaru darajatin waakbaru tafdeela (surah Al Isra: 21)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(17:21) But in spite of this you can see that We have exalted one people above the others and in the Hereafter these grades will be far greater, and their superiority will be far higher. *23

Unzur kaifa faddalnaa ba`dahum `alaa ba`d; wa lal Aakhiratu akbaru darajaatinw wa akbaru tafdeelaa

*23) This is to show that the seekers after the Hereafter have been exalted over the worshippers of the world even in this worldly life. However, this exaltation is not in regard to the good things of this world -rich food and dress, palatial dwellings, limousines, helicopters and other grand things, but it is from another point of view. They enjoy that true honour, love and good-will which is denied to the tyrants and the rich people in spite of the fact that they may be indigent. This is because whatever the seekers after the Hereafter get in this world, it is earned in righteous and honest ways, while the worshippers of the world amass wealth by employing dishonest and cruel ways. Then the former spend what they get with prudence and righteousness. They fulfil the obligations they owe to others. They spend their money in the Way of AIlah and to please Allah on the needy .and the indigent. In contrast to them, the worshippers of this world spend their money in .the enjoyment of luxuries, wicked works, corruption and spreading other evil things. This makes the former models of God-worship and purity in every respect and distinguishes them so clearly, from the worshippers of the world that they shine in exaltation over the latter. These things clearly indicate that in the next world the grades of the seekers after the Hereafter will be far greater and their superiority far higher than those of the worshippers of the world.