Tafsir of Al Imran 3:14

(Fairly adorned for people) is an independent clause introduced to discourage the psychological worldly shares, for which fighting often occurs, following the description of the state of the disbelievers and the explicit statement that their wealth and children will not avail them at all, despite them having sought strength through these very things.

"People" refers to the human race. "The love of desires" — meaning the objects of desire. Making "desires" the object of love itself serves as an indication of the depth to which their love and craving for them have been rooted in human nature, as if they desire to desire them. It is similar to what was said to a sick man: "What do you desire?" He replied: "I desire to desire." It also serves as a warning of their baseness, for desires are considered vile by the wise and the intelligent. Thus, therein lies a discouragement from them and an encouragement towards what is with Allah (Exalted is He).

The one who adorned them is Allah (Exalted is He), as narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim from Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). It is narrated from al-Hasan that it is Satan, and that Allah adorned them for them—for we do not know of anyone who has censured them besides their Creator.

In al-Intisaf, it is noted that the "adornment of desires" is used to mean the creation of the love for them in hearts; in this sense, it is attributed to Allah (Exalted is He) in reality, for there is no creator but Him. It is also used to mean the incitement to engage in forbidden desires. Adornment in the second sense is attributed to Satan, treating his whispering and beautification as equivalent to commanding and inciting. The statement of al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) is to be understood in the second sense, not the first, for he would avoid attributing the creation of Allah (Exalted is He) to anyone else. The attribution in both cases is true, as we indicated previously.

Those who say: "The apparent meaning is of the category: 'He made me arrive at your city,' when you have a right upon me," (where there is no making arrive here, but mere arrival, yet he affirmed a 'maker' for emphasis)—meaning that desires were adorned in their eyes due to their own deficiency, even though they have no inherent adornment, and there is no actual 'adorner'—have been excessive and arrogant.

Those who say: "The adorner in reality is Satan because adornment is a quality that subsists in him," and the one who says: "It is Allah (Exalted is He) because He is the Creator of actions and motives," are both mistaken in their claim and incorrect in their evidence. Mujahid read zuyyina (passive voice) and read hubb (the love) in the accusative case.

(Of women and children) is in the position of a state-describing phrase (hal) from "desires," serving to interpret them in meaning. Some say "of" (min) is for the clarification of the genus. Women were mentioned first due to their deep-rootedness in the meaning of desire; they are the snares of Satan. It is narrated from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "I have not left behind me a trial more harmful to men than women." It is said that in them are two trials: breaking ties of kinship and hoarding wealth from lawful and unlawful sources.

Children followed because they are the fruits of women in trials. It is narrated from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "The child is a cause of stinginess and cowardice." It is said that in them is one trial: the hoarding of wealth. No mention was made of daughters because the love for them is not consistent; some say "children" (al-banin) includes them by way of dominance.

(And heaped-up piles of gold and silver): A qintar is much wealth, as narrated by Ibn Jarir from al-Dahhak. Ahmad narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "A qintar is twelve thousand ounces." Al-Hakim narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was asked about it and said: "A qintar is one thousand ounces." In a narration of Ibn Abi Hatim from him, the qintar is one thousand dinars. Ibn Jarir narrated from Ubayy ibn Ka’b that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "A qintar is one thousand two hundred ounces." From Mu’adh: one thousand two hundred ounces. From Ibn Abbas: twelve thousand dirhams and one thousand dinars. In another narration from him: one thousand two hundred dinars, two hundred mithqals of silver. From Abu Sa’id al-Khudri: the skin of a bull filled with gold. From Mujahid: seventy thousand dinars. From Ibn al-Musayyib: eighty thousand. From Abu Salih: one hundred pounds (ratl). From Qatadah: "We used to be told that the qintar is one hundred pounds of gold or eighty thousand of silver." From Abu Ja’far: fifteen thousand mithqals (a mithqal is twenty-four carats).

It is said that the qintar among the Arabs is a weight that is not limited. It is also said: "Whatever is between the heaven and the earth of wealth and otherwise." Perhaps the best view, as has been said, is what was narrated from al-Dahhak, and the specific amounts in these narrations should be taken as examples, not as exclusive definitions. "Muchness" differs according to perspectives and contexts.

There is disagreement regarding its linguistic derivation; some say it is fa’lan, and some say fa’lanlan—on the first view, the nun is original; on the second, it is auxiliary. The term al-muqantarah is derived from it. It is the custom of the Arabs to describe a thing with a derivative for emphasis, such as zill zalil (a deep shadow); this is frequent in the fa’il form and appears in the passive (maf’ul) form as well, such as hajran mahjura (an inaccessible restriction) and nasiyan mansiya (a forgotten thing). It is said al-muqantarah means doubled. Some restricted it to nine qintars. Others said it means "strengthened and fortified," from "I qantar-tu the thing" if you tied and fastened it. Others said: "minted into dinars or dirhams," "piled up one on top of the other," or "buried and hoarded."

(Of gold and silver) is a clarification of the qintars and is in the position of a state-describing phrase. Dhahab (gold) is feminine; it is said "the red gold," and for this reason, its diminutive is dhahabiyya. Al-Farra’ said: "It is sometimes masculine." Its plural is adh-hab, dhuhub, and dhahaban. It is said that it is a collective noun in meaning for dhahaba.

(And branded horses)—this is conjoined to "women" or "qintars," not to "gold and silver," for they are not called a qintar. The singular is kha’il, derived from khiyala (arrogance), like ta’ir (bird) from tayr. Some say it has no singular from its own root; it is a collective noun whose singular is faras.

Al-musawwamah means the pastured, as Ibn Abbas said in one narration—it is from "I sum-tu my livestock" when I send them to pasture. Or, it means the beautiful ones, as Mujahid said—from sima (beauty). Or, the marked ones with a blaze and white feet (tahjil), as ‘Ikrimah said—from sima or suma (a mark).

Al-an’am refers to camels, cattle, and sheep, named so because of the softness of their movement. Al-an’am is specific to camels.

(And the tilth) is a verbal noun used in the sense of the passive participle, meaning the cultivated land, whether it is grain, vegetables, or fruit.

(That)—meaning that which was adorned for them of what was mentioned; this is why the demonstrative is singular. It is also valid that "that" serves to remind of the news and its singularity.

(Is the provision of the life of this world), meaning that which one enjoys for a few days, and then it departs from its possessor.

(And Allah has with Him the best of return), meaning the good return. Ma’ab is a noun of place or time from aba, ya’ubu (to return). Originally it was ma’wab, then the vowel of the waw was transferred to the silent hamza before it, and then it was turned into an alif. It is a verbal noun of place or time; the simple verbal noun is awb and iyab. Ibn Jarir narrated from al-Suddi that he said: "The best of return is the best final destination, which is Paradise."

In repeating the attribution to the Majestic Name, there is additional emphasis, glorification, and increased concern to encourage desiring what is with Allah (Exalted is He) of permanent blessings, and to discourage the fleeting pleasures of this world.

Among the strange deductions from this verse, as Abu Hayyan stated, is the obligation of Zakat on pastured horses because they are mentioned alongside that on which charity is obligatory, or that it refers to expenditure—while the second [view] is that women and children are mentioned [in the same context], and the implication of that is clear.