The Quran

يَقولونَ لَئِن رَجَعنا إِلَى المَدينَةِ لَيُخرِجَنَّ الأَعَزُّ مِنهَا الأَذَلَّ ۚ وَلِلَّهِ العِزَّةُ وَلِرَسولِهِ وَلِلمُؤمِنينَ وَلٰكِنَّ المُنافِقينَ لا يَعلَمونَ

Ali Unal

They say: “For certain, if we return to Madīnah, those with more status and power will drive out from it the weaker and lowlier ones.” But all glory and might belong to God, and (by His leave) to His Messenger and the believers. But (being incapable of knowledge of the truth) the hypocrites do not know this.¹

When God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, emigrated to Madīnah, the Arab peoples of al-Aws and al-Khazraj of Madīnah were preparing to crown ‘Abdullāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl as their king. So Ibn Ubayy never forgave the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings; and, though he accepted Islam outwardly, he was always a fierce enemy of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, and Islam. He collaborated with the Makkan polytheists and Madīnan Jews, and tried to bring about dissension among the Muslims. The events described in these verses happened during the return from the military expedition against the Banū Mustaliq, in the fifth year of Hijrah. Availing himself of a quarrel that had broken out between two Muslims, one from Madīnah and the other from Makkah (an emigrant), when the army had halted halfway for a rest, he tried to instigate the Ansār (Helpers) against the Muhājirūn (Emigrants). But the sagacity of the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, who ordered the army to march without halting until they reached Madīnah, was enough to extinguish the fire of dissension before it was kindled.
Verse 8 emphasizes that all glory and real power rest first with God, then with the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, and then with the believers because of their faith in, and submission to, God. So the believers must always seek these with God and by being good, sincere Muslims.