وَكَذٰلِكَ
فَتَنَّا
بَعْضَهُمْ
بِبَعْضٍ
لِّیَقُوْلُوْۤا
اَهٰۤؤُلَآءِ
مَنَّ
اللّٰهُ
عَلَیْهِمْ
مِّنْ
بَیْنِنَا ؕ
اَلَیْسَ
اللّٰهُ
بِاَعْلَمَ
بِالشّٰكِرِیْنَ
۟
٣

Those who have achieved wealth and popularity prefer to give weightage to the considerations of their worldly interests, rather than support the pure and unadulterated call of Truth, because, according to them, supporting the Truth would amount to demolition of the entire structure of their vested interests. Moreover, when they see that Truth is upheld by people of ordinary status, their way of thinking is further strengthened. They feel that by associating with the Truth they will be lowering their own status. Instead of testing the Truth on the touchstone of Truth, they judge it by their own criteria, i.e. by their own private and personal touchstone, and when the Truth does not measure up to this, they ignore it.