Surah Al-Israa · Ayah 21·Makkī

21

عَلَىٰ ﴿٢١﴾

Translation

Saheeh International

Look how We have favored [in provision] some of them over others. But the Hereafter is greater in degrees [of difference] and greater in distinction.

Compare all 34 translations →

Tafsīr

No commentary indexed for this ayah yet.

Verse DNA · this āyah at a glance

Vocabulary and recitation are counted from the morphology and the Uthmani marks; commentary reports whether an authored tafsīr entry reaches this āyah. A structural read, not a judgement — a denser strip is not a weightier verse.

Vocabulary · 7 roots in 10 of 11 words

Recitation · 14 points across 4 rule families

  • Ikhfāʾ4
  • Madd ṭabīʿī5
  • Iẓhār shafawī1
  • Heavy rāʾ4

Commentary

No tafsīr entry reaches this āyah yet — the interpretive layer covers a pilot, not the whole Book.

Shape

11 words · 50 letters · āyah 21 of 111

once in the Qurʾān2–10×11–50×51–300×300+×

Similar verses by meaning

Ranked by semantic similarity over translation embeddings — a model’s proxy for meaning, not a claim about it, and not tafsīr. Verses may be kin in theme while differing entirely in wording.

  • Quran 87:17 · Al-A'laaclose

    وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ

    While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.

  • Quran 20:131 · Taa-Haaclose

    وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَىٰ مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِۦٓ أَزْوَٰجًا مِّنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ

    And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the…

  • Quran 12:57 · Yusufclose

    وَلَأَجْرُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ يَتَّقُونَ

    And the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believed and were fearing Allah.

  • Quran 21:101 · Al-Anbiyaarelated

    إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُم مِّنَّا ٱلْحُسْنَىٰٓ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ

    Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us - they are from it far removed.

  • Quran 38:47 · Saadrelated

    وَإِنَّهُمْ عِندَنَا لَمِنَ ٱلْمُصْطَفَيْنَ ٱلْأَخْيَارِ

    And indeed they are, to Us, among the chosen and outstanding.

  • Quran 19:73 · Maryamrelated

    وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَٰتُنَا بَيِّنَٰتٍ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَىُّ ٱلْفَرِيقَيْنِ خَيْرٌ مَّقَامًا وَأَحْسَنُ نَدِيًّا

    And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Which of [our] two parties is best in position and best in association?"

Verses built from the same roots

Ranked by shared vocabulary (idf-cosine over each verse’s root-set). Shared words are a fact about form — they do not by themselves mean two verses are about the same thing.

  • Al-Israa 17:872 shared roots

    إِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ فَضْلَهُۥ كَانَ عَلَيْكَ كَبِيرًا

    ف-ض-لك-ب-ر

  • Al-Israa 17:872 shared roots

    إِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ فَضْلَهُۥ كَانَ عَلَيْكَ كَبِيرًا

    ف-ض-لك-ب-ر

  • Al-Ahzaab 33:472 shared roots

    وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ فَضْلًا كَبِيرًا

    ف-ض-لك-ب-ر

  • As-Saaffaat 37:732 shared roots

    فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُنذَرِينَ

    ك-ي-فن-ظ-ر

  • Al-Qalam 68:332 shared roots

    كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ

    ك-ب-رأ-خ-ر

  • Yunus 10:142 shared roots

    ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَٰكُمْ خَلَٰٓئِفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ لِنَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ

    ك-ي-فن-ظ-ر

Questions

Which verses are similar to Quran 17:21?

Verses close in meaning to Quran 17:21 include Quran 87:17 (Surah Al-A'laa), Quran 20:131 (Surah Taa-Haa), Quran 12:57 (Surah Yusuf), and Quran 21:101 (Surah Al-Anbiyaa). For example, 87:17 reads: “While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.” These are ranked by comparing translations of every verse in the Qurʾān, so they are a measure of similar wording and theme — not a tafsīr ruling.

What does Quran 17:21 say?

In Saheeh International, Quran 17:21 (Surah Al-Israa, The Night Journey) reads: “Look how We have favored [in provision] some of them over others. But the Hereafter is greater in degrees [of difference] and greater in distinction.”

Which surah is verse 17:21 in?

Quran 17:21 is āyah 21 of Surah Al-Israa (The Night Journey), chapter 17 of the Qurʾān — a Meccan (Makkī) surah of 111 verses.

In how many languages can I read Quran 17:21?

Tartīl presents Quran 17:21 in the original Arabic alongside 34 translations, with audio recitation.