انْظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَلَلْآخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَاتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلًا ﴿۲۱﴾ لَا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا مَخْذُولًا ﴿۲۲﴾ وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا ﴿۲۳﴾ وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُلْ رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا ﴿۲۴﴾

﴾21﴿ Unzur kaifa faddalnaa ba'dahum 'alaa ba'd; wa lal Aakhiratu akbaru darajaatinw wa akbaru tafdeelaa
﴾22﴿ Laa taj'al ma'al laahi ilaahan aakhara fataq'uda mazoomam makhzoolaa
﴾23﴿ Wa qadaa Rabbuka allaa ta'budooo illaaa iyyaahu wa bilwaalidaini ihsaanaa; immaa yablughanna 'indakal kibara ahaduhumaaa aw kilaahumaa falaa taqul lahumaaa uffinw wa laa tanharhumaa wa qullahumaa qawlan kareemaa
﴾24﴿ Wakhfid lahumaa janaahaz zulli minar rahmati wa qur Rabbir hamhumaa kamaa rabbayaanee sagheera

﴾21﴿ See how We have favored some of them over others. And surely, the Hereafter is greater in degrees and greater in excellence
﴾22﴿ Do not set up any other deity alongside Allah, lest you sit down reproached and forsaken
﴾23﴿ And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Allah and show kindness to your parents. If one or both of them reach old age while with you, do not say to them a word of disrespect (such as 'uff') and do not rebuke them, but speak to them with kind words
﴾24﴿ "And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, 'My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was small

[21] This verse mentions that the provision of Allah the Exalted in this world is not given equally, but rather with distinction and variation.
The phrase “wa la’l-ākhiratu akbaru darajāt” indicates that seeking advancement in the world is not what truly matters; rather, striving for the Hereafter is what is beneficial.
The use of the comparative term “akbaru” (greater) implies that while there is some level of difference in this world as well, the difference in the Hereafter is far greater and more significant.
[22] This verse begins the mention of the three things through which punishment is repelled, and these matters are the cause of attaining the ranks of the Hereafter. The first of these is avoiding shirk (associating partners with Allah), and in this, the prohibition is against the shirk of divinity.
"Mazmūman" (مَذْمُومًا) is said about someone whose faults and defects can be mentioned.
"Makhzūlan" (مَخْذُولًا) is said about someone who, at the time of need, has no friend or helper.
Thus, the polytheist on the Day of Judgment will be in such a state that neither Allah (Exalted is He) will help him, nor will their false deities.
"Fataqʿuda" (فَتَقْعُدَ) indicates that this condition will be continuous, because "quʿūd" (sitting) signifies firmness.
It also points to the fact that people who are condemned (mazmūm) and forsaken (makhzūl) are unable to bear hearing (the truth).
[23] In this verse, the first refutation is against associating partners with Allah in worship, and this reasoning is connected with the previous verse.
“And be good to parents” (وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا) introduces the second matter that repels punishment, which is showing kindness to the creation of Allah, the Exalted.
This verse contains three etiquettes, and kindness to parents is mentioned alongside the oneness of Allah, here, in verse 83 of Surah al-Baqarah, and in verse 36 of Surah al-Nisa.
One reason for this is to make it clear that in the worship of Allah, do not associate parents either — rather, only show them kindness.
The second reason is that the right of parents does not mean obeying them in matters of shirk or sin — their true right is to be treated with kindness.
There are three ways to show kindness:
1. Striving for their good by calling them to the truth, as Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) did.
2. Serving them.
3. Spending wealth on them.
“And do not rebuke them” (وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا) — Ibn Kathir said this means not raising one’s hand against them or doing any disgraceful action.
“Do not say to them ‘Uff’” (فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ) — “Uff” is a sound made from the mouth when something is disliked, so what is meant by “Uff” is any inappropriate word that would distress the mother and father.
[24] “Lower to them the wing of humility” (وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ) — in this verse, there are two etiquettes, and this is a metaphor for showing compassion and mercy to them, just as mentioned in verse 28 of Surah al-Hijr.
Here, the word al-dhull (humility) is used because the meaning intended is obedience and service.
In the phrase “from mercy” (مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ), there is an indication that this obedience and service should come from heartfelt compassion — not from showing off, nor from mere habit.
“And say, ‘My Lord, have mercy on them’” (وَقُلْ رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا) — this indicates that a child can never fully repay the rights of the mother and father, so this supplication takes the place of fulfilling that right.