Tafsir of Al-Mu'minoon 23:56

Do they think that in wealth and children with which We prolong them, We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not. means, `do these deceived people think that what We give them of wealth and children is because they are honored and precious in Our sight! No, the matter is not as they claim when they say,

نحن أكثر أموﻻ وأولدا وما نحن بمعذبين

We are more in wealth and in children, and we are not going to be punished. (34:35) But this thinking is wrong, and their hopes will be dashed. We only give those things to them in order to make them go further (in sin) and to give them more time.' Allah says:

نسارع لهم في الخيرات

بل ﻻ يشعرون

but they perceive not. as He says elsewhere:

فﻼ تعجبك أمولهم وﻻ أولدهم إنما يريد الله ليعذبهم بها في الحيوة الدنيا

So, let not their wealth nor their children amaze you; in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world... (9:55)

إنما نملى لهم ليزدادوا إثما

We postpone the punishment only so that they may increase in sinfulness. (3:178)

فذرنى ومن يكذب بهذا الحديث سنستدرجهم من حيث ﻻ يعلمون وأملى لهم

Then leave Me Alone with such as belie this Qur'an. We shall punish them gradually from directions they perceive not. And I will grant them a respite. (68:44-45)

ذرنى ومن خلقت وحيدا

Leave Me Alone (to deal) with whom I created lonely. until His saying:

عنيدا

(opposing). (74: 11-16)

وما أمولكم وﻻ أولدكم بالتى تقربكم عندنا زلفى إﻻ من ءامن وعمل صلحا

And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer to Us, but only he who believes, and does righteous deeds... (34:37) And there are many other Ayat which say similar things. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "The Messenger of Allah said:

إن الله قسم بينكم أخﻼقكم كما قسم بينكم أرزاقكم وإن الله يعطي الدنيا من يحب ومن ﻻ يحب وﻻ يعطي الدين إﻻ لمن أحب فمن أعطاه الله الدين فقد أحبه

والذي نفسي بيده ﻻ يسلم عبد حتى يسلم قلبه ولسانه وﻻ يومن حتى يٲمن جاره بوايقه

Allah has distributed your behavior to you just as He has distributed your provision. Allah gives the things of this world to those whom He loves and those whom He does not love, but He only gives religious commitment to those whom He loves. Whoever is given religious commitment by Allah is loved by Him. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, no servant truly submits until his heart and his tongue submit, and he does not truly believe until his neighbor is safe from his harm. They said, `What is his harm, O Messenger of Allah!' He said,

غشمه وظلمه وﻻ يكسب عبد ماﻻ من حرام فينفق منه فيبارك له فيه وﻻ يتصدق به فيقبل منه وﻻ يتركه خلف ظهره إﻻ كان زاده إلى النار

إن الله ﻻ يمحو السيء بالسيء ولكن يمحو السيء بالحسن إن الخبيث ﻻ يمحو الخبيث

His wrongdoing and misbehavior. No person who earns unlawful wealth and spends it will be blessed in that; if he gives it in charity, it will not be accepted from him and if he leaves it behind (when he dies), it will be his provision in the Fire. Allah does not wash away an evil deed with another, but he washes away evil deeds with good deeds, for impurity cannot wash away with another impurity