Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 30

(Ayah30) ➊ {وَ قِيْلَ لِلَّذِيْنَ اتَّقَوْا …: ’’ خَيْرًا ‘‘ ’’خَيْرٌ ‘‘} and {’’شَرٌّ‘‘} are actually in the form of the superlative, that is, {’’ أَخْيَرُ‘‘} and {”اَشَرّ‘‘}, and for ease, they have been made {’’خَيْرٌ‘‘} and {’’شَرٌّ‘‘}, so the translation is "the best word," meaning the very best word. Here, Zamakhshari has mentioned a point that the same question was asked to the disbelievers in verse (24) of this surah, so their answer was { ’’ اَسَاطِيْرُ الْاَوَّلِيْنَ ‘‘}, which is in the nominative, and here the same question was asked to the God-fearing, so they said {’’ خَيْرًا ‘‘ }, which is in the accusative. The reason is that {’’اَسَاطِيْرُ الْاَوَّلِيْنَ ‘‘} is the subject and {’’هِيَ‘‘} is its predicate, so it is nominative, meaning the disbelievers did not even accept that the Lord Almighty revealed anything, otherwise {’’ اَسَاطِيْرُ الْاَوَّلِيْنَ ‘‘ } would have been accusative. In contrast, the statement of the God-fearing {’’خَيْرًا ‘‘ ’’أَنْزَلَ‘‘ } is the object of a suppressed verb, meaning He alone has revealed good. Thus, the God-fearing accepted the descent of divine revelation and also testified to its being the best. In contrast, the disbelievers denied both matters.

➋ The tanween of {لِلَّذِيْنَ اَحْسَنُوْا فِيْ هٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ : ’’ حَسَنَةٌ ‘‘ } is for magnification. Even in the life of this world, the believer attains such peace and tranquility that a disbeliever cannot even imagine. It is narrated from Suhaib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ عَجَبًا لِأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ لَهُ خَيْرٌ، وَلَيْسَ ذٰلِكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ، فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ، فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُ ] [ مسلم، الزھد، باب المؤمن أمرہ کلہ خیر : ۲۹۹۹ ] "The affair of the believer is amazing, for all his matters are good, and this is for no one except the believer. If happiness comes to him, he is grateful, and that is best for him, and if harm befalls him, he is patient, and that is best for him." In the Noble Qur'an, Allah Almighty has promised the believer a pure life. See Surah An-Nahl (97).

➌ {وَ لَدَارُ الْاٰخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ … :} In this, {’’دَارٌ‘‘} is the described and is annexed to its attribute {’’ الْاٰخِرَةِ ‘‘}. The last home is mentioned because after it there is no other home; one will remain there forever. {’’ وَ لَنِعْمَ دَارُ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ ‘‘ ’’نِعْمَ‘‘} is a past tense verb, and it is for praise, and the one specified for praise is {’’هِيَ‘‘}, its opposite is {’’بِئْسَ‘‘}, which is for condemnation. The meaning of the lām of emphasis is rendered as "indeed," and the meaning of {’’خَيْرٌ ‘‘} due to the superlative is rendered as "far better."

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

30. And when the righteous are asked, “What has your Lord sent down?” they say, “Goodness [30], pure goodness.” For those who do good, there is good in this world, and the home of the Hereafter is even better. And how excellent is the home of the righteous!

[30]
The Quran is Pure Goodness:

When the people around the disbelievers of Makkah would ask them this same question, they would say that it is nothing but tales of the ancients, which we have already heard many times before. But when these same outsiders would ask this question to a believer and a God-fearing person, their answer would be completely opposite to that of the disbelievers of Makkah. They would say that the teachings revealed to the Prophet contain nothing but goodness for both this world and the Hereafter. Moreover, these people do not merely acknowledge these things with their tongues, but they also implement the teachings revealed by Allah upon themselves. They perform the deeds they are commanded to do in the best manner, and they refrain from the deeds they are forbidden from. Such people attain goodness in this world as well, and in the Hereafter, they will be granted everlasting happiness and goodness. In other words, this very Quran becomes a cause of further misguidance for the disbelievers, and a cause of further guidance for those who fear Allah.