Tafsir of Al-Bayyinah 98:7

This is an exposition of the excellent states of the believers, following the exposition of the wretched state of the disbelievers, in accordance with the Quranic tradition of pairing intimidation with encouragement. Alternatively, it is as we have previously indicated.

‘Isam al-Din stated that the Almighty’s saying, "Indeed, those who disbelieve..." serves as a confirmation of the Almighty’s saying, "And that is the upright religion," for the religion would not be established as "upright" without the consequence for the one who turns away being this, and the consequence for the one who complies being that. However, that necessitated the Almighty’s saying, "Indeed, those who believe..." and it is as if it were set apart to remove the impression of a lack of connection between the two sentences, neither in the subject nor in the predicate.

(أُولَئِكَ) — meaning those described with that which is the ultimate end, necessitating honor and virtue by way of faith and obedience — (هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ) — "are the best of creation."

Humayd and ‘Amir ibn ‘Abd al-Wahid read it as "hum khiyaru al-bariyyah," where khiyar is the plural of khayr, like jiyad is to jayyid.