﴿ قُلْ يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّى عَامِلٌۭ ۖ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن تَكُونُ لَهُۥ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلدَّارِ ۗ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ﴾

“Say: "O my [unbelieving] people! Do yet all that may be within your power, [while] I, behold, shall labour [in God's way]; and in time you will come to know to whom the future belongs. Verily, never will evildoers attain to a happy state!"”

Commenting on this verse, Tafsir authority, Ibn Kathir pointed out that the exact words of the text here are: مَن تَكُونُ لَهُ عَاقِبَةُ الدَّارِ‌ (for whom is the ultimate abode) and not: عَاقِبَةُ الدَّارِاَلآخِرَۃِ‌ (the ultimate abode of Akhirah), that is, the suffix of 'Akhirah or Hereafter is not there. This tells us that, much earlier than the abode of Akhirah, the ultimate success falls to the lot of the righteous servants of Allah alone even within the present abode of the world. This stands proved from the life and times of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his blessed Companions ؓ . Not much time passed when all wielders of power and authority found themselves disgraced before them. Their countries were conquered at their hands. Within the period of prophethood, the whole Arabia came under his authority which soon extended to Yaman, Bahrain and the borders of Syria. Then, it was at the hands of his Khulafa' and the Sahabah that a major part of the known world of the time came under their aegis. Fullfilled stood the promise of Allah Ta` a1a: كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَأَغْلِبَنَّ أَنَا وَرُ‌سُلِي (Allah has written: I shall overcome, I, and My Messengers - 58:21). And again, it was said in another verse: إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ‌ رُ‌سُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ ﴿51﴾ that is, ` We shall help Our Messengers, and those who have believed, in the present world, and on the Day of Qiyamah, when witnesses will stand to record their testimony on the reckoning of deeds - 40:51.'