The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 507
PT. 14 AN-NAHL CH. 16 وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً إِنَّمَا And barter not the covenant. 96 of Allah for a paltry price. عِنْدَ اللهِ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُن كُنتُمْ Surely, that which is with Allah تَعْلَمُونَ is better for you if you only knew. 1896 مَا عِنْدَكُمْ يَنْفَدُ وَ مَا عِنْدَ اللهِ بَاقٍ That which you have shall. 97 وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا اجْرَهُمْ with Allah is lasting. And We بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ. pass away, but that which is b will certainly give those who are steadfast their reward according to the best of their works. 1897 a3:78. 11:12; 39:11. Muslims will weaken their power after it had become established in the earth. These words implied the great promise that although Muslims were being bitterly persecuted at Mecca by their opponents, yet the time was soon coming when God would establish their power on earth because such rules of conduct could only be laid down for a people who were destined to play a very prominent part in the politics of the world. The fulfilment of this prophecy under most unfavourable circumstances constitutes conclusive proof of the Quran being the revealed word of God. 1896. Commentary: A great future was promised to Muslims in the foregoing verses. They were to attain power and glory. But, says the present verse, when people attain to power they fall victim to all sorts of temptations. Their enemies employ spies and informers from among them and offer large bribes to get possession of 1715 their State secrets. So Muslims are warned against succumbing to such temptations in the words: And barter not the covenant of Allah for a paltry price. They are warned that they would establish a republic at Medina, and their enemies would offer large bribes to some of their own members to disclose the secrets of the Muslim State to them, but these bribes, however large, would be quite a paltry thing compared with the boons which they would receive from God if they remained loyal to their State and led righteous lives. The words, If you only knew, mean that Muslims could not even imagine, in the very difficult conditions under which they lived at Mecca, that they would ever rise to such great power as was ultimately theirs. 1897. Commentary: The verse means to say that the sums of money which will be offered to you as bribes will soon be spent but the boons and favours which God