Tafsir

The True Value of This Earthly Life

Allah mentions the delights that He put in this life for people, such as women and children, and He started with women, because the test with them is more tempting. For instance, the Sahih recorded that the Messenger ﷺ said,«مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدِي فِتْنَةً أَضَرَّ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النِّسَاء»(I did not leave behind me a test more tempting to men than women.)When one enjoys women for the purpose of having children and preserving his chastity, then he is encouraged to do so.

There are many Hadiths that encourage getting married, such as,«وَإِنَّ خَيْرَ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ مَنْ كَانَ أَكْثَرَهَا نِسَاء»(Verily, the best members of this Ummah are those who have the most wives) He also said,«الدُّنْيَا مَتَاعٌ، وَخَيْرُ مَتَاعِهَا الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَة»(This life is a delight, and the best of its delight is a righteous wife)The Prophet said in another Hadith,«حُبِّبَ إِلَيَّ النِّسَاءُ وَالطِّيبُ، وَجُعِلَتْ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَاة»(I was made to like women and perfume, and the comfort of my eye is the prayer.)`A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Nothing was more beloved to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ than women, except horses," and in another narration, "...than horses except women."The desire to have children is sometimes for the purpose of pride and boasting, and as such, is a temptation. When the purpose for having children is to reproduce and increase the Ummah of Muhammad with those who worship Allah alone without partners, then it is encouraged and praised.

A Hadith states,«تَزَوَّجُوا الْوَدُودَ الْوَلُودَ، فَإِنِّي مُكَاثِرٌ بِكُمُ الْأُمَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»(Marry the Wadud (kind) and Walud (fertile) woman, for I will compare your numbers to the rest of the nations on the Day of Resurrection.)The desire of wealth sometimes results out of arrogance, and the desire to dominate the weak and control the poor, and this conduct is prohibited. Sometimes, the want for more money is for the purpose of spending it on acts of worship, being kind to the family, the relatives, and spending on various acts of righteousness and obedience; this behavior is praised and encouraged in the religion.

Scholars of Tafsir have conflicting opinions about the amount of the Qintar, all of which indicate that the Qintar is a large amount of money, as Ad-Dahhak and other scholars said. Abu Hurayrah said "The Qintar is twelve thousand Uwqiyah, each Uwqiyah is better than what is between the heavens and earth." This was recorded by Ibn Jarir .

The desire to have horses can be one of three types. Sometimes, owners of horses collect them to be used in the cause of Allah, and when warranted, they use their horses in battle. This type of owner shall be rewarded for this good action. Another type collects horses to boast, and out of enmity to the people of Islam, and this type earns a burden for his behavior. Another type collects horses to fulfill their needs and to collect their offspring, and they do not forget Allah's right due on their horses. This is why in this case, these horses provide a shield of sufficiency for their owner, as evident by a Hadith that we will mention, Allah willing, when we explain Allah's statement,وَأَعِدُّواْ لَهُمْ مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ(And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war.) 8:60.

As for the Musawwamah horses, Ibn `Abbas said that they are the branded, beautiful horses. This is the same explanation of Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Abdur-Rahman bin `Abdullah bin Abza, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Abu Sinan and others. Makhul said the Musawwamah refers to the horse with a white spotted faced, and the horse with white feet. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,«لَيْسَ مِنْ فَرَسٍ عَرَبِيَ إِلَّا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُ مَعَ كُلِّ فَجْرٍ يَدْعُو بِدَعْوَتَيْنِ يَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ خَوَّلْتَنِي مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ، فَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ أَحَبِّ مَالِهِ وَأَهْلِهِ إِلَيْهِ أَوْ أَحَبَّ أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ إِلَيْه»(Every Arabian horse is allowed to have two supplications every dawn, and the horse supplicates, `O Allah! You made me subservient to the son of Adam.

Therefore, make me among the dearest of his wealth and household to him, or, ...make me the dearest of his household and wealth to him.)Allah's statement,وَالاٌّنْعَـمُ(Cattle) means, camels, cows and sheep.وَالْحَرْثِ(And fertile land) meaning, the land that is used to farm and grow plants.

Allah then said,ذَلِكَ مَتَـعُ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا(This is the pleasure of the present world's life) meaning, these are the delights of this life and its short lived joys,وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَأَبِ(But Allah has the excellent return with Him) meaning, the best destination and reward.

The Reward of the Those Who Have Taqwa is Better Than All Joys of This World

This is why Allah said,قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ مِّن ذَلِكُمْ(Say: "Shall I inform you of things far better than those")This Ayah means, "Say, O Muhammad, to the people, `Should I tell you about what is better than the delights and joys of this life that will soon perish"' Allah informed them of what is better when He said,لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْاْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّـتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَارُ(For those who have Taqwa there are Gardens (Paradise) with their Lord, underneath which rivers flow) meaning, rivers run throughout it.

These rivers carry various types of drinks: honey, milk, wine and water such that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no heart has ever imagined,خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ(Therein (is their) eternal (home)) meaning, they shall remain in it forever and ever and will not want to be removed from it.وَأَزْوَجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ(And Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives)) meaning, from filth, dirt, harm, menstruation, post birth bleeding, and other things that affect women in this world.وَرِضْوَنٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ(And Allah will be pleased with them) meaning, Allah's pleasure will descend on them and He shall never be angry with them after that. This is why Allah said in in Surah Bara`ah,وَرِضْوَنٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ(But the pleasure of Allah is greater) 9:72, meaning, greater than the eternal delight that He has granted them. Allah then said,وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ(And Allah is All-Seer of the (His) servants) and, He gives each provisions according to what they deserve.

Sequence

That the hostility of disbelievers should be countered with Jihad against them was the theme in several previous verses. Now, in these verses the text explains the reason why the disbelievers indulge in hostility against Islam and Muslims. The reason for this and for all evil deeds is, in fact, the love of the worldly life. There are all sorts of people who line up against the truth - some driven by greed for wealth or power, some goaded by lust and some in defence of false ancestral customs: All this is just to grab a share in the temporal enjoyments of the present life which has been described in these verses.

Commentary

The limits of one's love for worldly enjoyments

The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said: حُبُّ الدئنیا راس کُلِّ خَطِیٔۃ It means that the love of دنیا dunya (worldly life or worldly enjoyments) is the main source of all errors. The first verse here names some of the most de-sired things and says that they have been made to look attractive and therefore, people go after them enticed by their glamour brushing aside any concerns for the life to come, if there be any.

It will be noted that things named here are the center of attraction for human beings, out of which, women come first and then the children. For whatever man goes about procuring is because of the needs of his family - wife and children - to share it with him. Then come other forms of wealth and possessions - gold, silver, cattle and tillage - which attract people secondarily.

Why has man been made in a way that he is temperamentally attracted to these things? The answer is that Allah has done so in His ultimate wisdom. Let us consider:1. If man was not naturally inclined to and even enamoured with these things, all worldly business would have gone topsy-turvy. Why would someone sweat on farms and fields? Why would a wage-earner or an entrepreneur burn themselves out in an industry, or a business-man would put his capital and labour in buying and selling things? The secret was that the people of the world were made to grow and survive through this instinctive love for such things whereby they would go about collecting and preserving these. The worker goes out to earn some money. The well-to-do goes out to hire a worker for his job. The trader brings forth his best merchandise for display waiting for a customer to earn something from. A customer goes to the shopping mall to buy things he needs to live or be happy with.

If we think about it, we shall realize that it was the love for what is desirable in this mortal world which brought them out of their homes, and in this silent process, gave the world a strong and ongoing social system.

There is yet another element of wisdom behind it. If man had no liking for the blessings he finds in the mortal world, he would obviously have no taste or desire for blessings promised in the world to come. That being the case, why would he ever take the trouble of doing what is good and thus become deserving of Paradise, and not doing what is evil and thus become safe from Hell?

There is still another element of wisdom which is more significant for consideration here. Is it not that man, with love for these things in his heart, has been put to a test as to who becomes engrossed in the enjoyments of the present life and forgets the life to come, and who comes to realize the real and temporal nature of these things, shows concern for them only in proportion to his needs, and then channels all his efforts into deeds that would make his next life good and safe? The wisdom behind the adornment of such things has been pointed out elsewhere in the Holy Qur'an:إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْ‌ضِ زِينَةً لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًاWe made whatever there is on the earth its adornment so that We can test as to who among them acts best. (18:7)The verse cited above clearly shows that the glamourizing of sue} desirable things is an act of God based on many wise considerations.

However, as for verses where such glamorization of things has been attributed to شیطان Satan - for example, زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ (the شیطان Satan has made their deeds look attractive to them - 8:48; 16:63; 27:24; 29:38.) - there the reference is to things that are evil, religiously and rationally; or, the reference is to a false sense of adornment which is evil because it transgresses the limits set by Allah: Otherwise, it is not absolutely bad to adorn the lawful things. In fact, there may be a few benefits in doing so. Therefore, this act of placing attraction in things in some verses has been attributed to Allah, as stated above.

Let us summarize our discussion so far and see how it works for us in our practical life. We now know that Allah created, in His grace and wisdom, all good things of life in this world, made them look attractive and - worthy of man's effort to acquire them so that man can be tested. This is one of Allah's many acts of wisdom to see whether the man gets swayed by the glamour of the fleeting enjoyment of things, or remembers the Creator of these things, or the man forgets the very Creator of his own being as well. Aided by this realization, does man make these things a medium through which to know and love Allah; or, is it that he would elect to get totally lost in the love for these known transitory things, and forget all about the real Master and Creator before Whom he must appear on the Last Day and account for whatever he did.

On the one hand is a person who has the best of both worlds. He enjoys the blessings of the present life and uses its means for success in the life to come. For him, the enjoyments of the mortal world did not become a road-block; rather, they proved to be the milestones which led him safely into a prosperous Hereafter. But, for the other person these very things became the causes that led him to squander his chance of having a good life in the Hereafter, and also became the very cause of perennial punishment. Frankly, if we were to look a little deeper, we would realize that these things become a sort of punishment for him right here in this world as well. For such people, the Holy Qur'an says:فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِ‌يدُ اللَّـهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَاSo, their wealth and children should not attract you. Allah wants to punish them with these in this lowly life - 9:55.

Thus, the lesson is that we can seek good things of life with moderation and even store them in accordance with our genuine needs. In this lies the ultimate good of this life and the life to come. Using them in prohibited ways, or indulging in them so excessively that one forgets the post-death reality of آخرۃ Akhirah is nothing but self-destruction. The poet-sage, Maulana Rumi has illustrated this very eloquently when he said;آب اندر زیر کشتی پشتی استآب در کشتی ھلاک کشتی استHe says that things of this world with which we surround ourselves are like water, and the heart of man is like a boat in it. As long as the water remains beneath and around the boat, it is good and helpful, and certainly guarantees the very purpose of its being there. But, if water gets into the boat, it makes the boat capsize and destroys all that was in it. Similarly, man's wealth and possessions are means of convenience for his role in this world and in the life to come - provided that they do not enter into his heart, sit there, and kill it in the process.

Therefore, the verse under discussion, immediately after mentioning some especially desirable things of the world, presents the essential guideline for human beings by saying:ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَاللَّـهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِThat is an enjoyment of the worldly life. And with Allah lies the beauty of the final resort. (3:14)In other words, it means that all these things are there simply to serve a purpose in man's mortal life in the present world and certainly not to have him fall in love with things for their own sake, for the real beauty of the experience lies in one's ultimate resort with Allah in blissful eternity enjoying what would never perish, diminish or weaken.

يخبر تعالى عما زين للناس في هذه الحياة الدنيا من أنواع الملاذ من النساء والبنين ، فبدأ بالنساء لأن الفتنة بهن أشد ، كما ثبت في الصحيح أنه ، عليه السلام ، قال ما تركت بعدي فتنة أضر على الرجال من النساء " .

فأما إذا كان القصد بهن الإعفاف وكثرة الأولاد ، فهذا مطلوب مرغوب فيه مندوب إليه ، كما وردت الأحاديث بالترغيب في التزويج والاستكثار منه ، " وإن خير هذه الأمة كان أكثرها نساء " وقوله ، عليه السلام الدنيا متاع ، وخير متاعها المرأة الصالحة ، إن نظر إليها سرته ، وإن أمرها أطاعته ، وإن غاب عنها حفظته في نفسها وماله " وقوله في الحديث الآخر : " حبب إلي النساء والطيب وجعلت قرة عيني في الصلاة " وقالت عائشة ، رضي الله عنها : لم يكن شيء أحب إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من النساء إلا الخيل ، وفي رواية : من الخيل إلا النساء .وحب البنين تارة يكون للتفاخر والزينة فهو داخل في هذا ، وتارة يكون لتكثير النسل ، وتكثير أمة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ممن يعبد الله وحده لا شريك له ، فهذا محمود ممدوح ، كما ثبت في الحديث : " تزوجوا الودود الولود ، فإني مكاثر بكم الأمم يوم القيامة "وحب المال - كذلك - تارة يكون للفخر والخيلاء والتكبر على الضعفاء ، والتجبر على الفقراء ، فهذا مذموم ، وتارة يكون للنفقة في القربات وصلة الأرحام والقرابات ووجوه البر والطاعات ، فهذا ممدوح محمود عليه شرعا .وقد اختلف المفسرون في مقدار القنطار على أقوال ، وحاصلها : أنه المال الجزيل ، كما قاله الضحاك وغيره ، وقيل : ألف دينار .

وقيل : ألف ومائتا دينار . وقيل : اثنا عشر ألفا . وقيل : أربعون ألفا . وقيل : ستون ألفا وقيل : سبعون ألفا . وقيل : ثمانون ألفا . وقيل غير ذلك .وقد قال الإمام أحمد : حدثنا عبد الصمد ، حدثنا حماد ، عن عاصم ، عن أبي صالح ، عن أبي هريرة ، رضي الله عنه ، قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " القنطار اثنا عشر ألف أوقية ، كل أوقية خير مما بين السماء والأرض " .وقد رواه ابن ماجه ، عن أبي بكر بن أبي شيبة ، عن عبد الصمد بن عبد الوارث ، عن حماد بن سلمة ، به . وقد رواه ابن جرير عن بندار ، عن ابن مهدي ، عن حماد بن زيد ، عن عاصم - هو ابن بهدلة - عن أبي صالح ، عن أبي هريرة موقوفا ، وهذا أصح . وهكذا رواه ابن جرير عن معاذ بن جبل وابن عمر . وحكاه ابن أبي حاتم ، عن أبي هريرة وأبي الدرداء ، أنهم قالوا : القنطار ألف ومائتا أوقية .ثم قال ابن جرير : حدثني زكريا بن يحيى الضرير ، حدثنا شبابة ، حدثنا مخلد بن عبد الواحد ، عن علي بن زيد ، عن عطاء بن أبي ميمونة ، عن زر بن حبيش عن أبي بن كعب ، قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " القنطار ألف أوقية ومائتا أوقية " .وهذا حديث منكر أيضا ، والأقرب أن يكون موقوفا على أبي بن كعب ، كغيره من الصحابة .

وقد روى ابن مردويه ، من طريق موسى بن عبيدة الربذي عن محمد بن إبراهيم عن يحنش أبي موسى ، عن أم الدرداء ، عن أبي الدرداء قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " من قرأ مائة آية لم يكتب من الغافلين ، ومن قرأ مائة آية إلى ألف أصبح له قنطار من أجر عند الله ، القنطار منه مثل الجبل العظيم " . ورواه وكيع ، عن موسى بن عبيدة ، بمعناه وقال الحاكم في مستدركه : حدثنا أبو العباس محمد بن يعقوب ، حدثنا أحمد بن عيسى بن زيد اللخمي بتنيس ، حدثنا عمرو بن أبي سلمة ، حدثنا زهير بن محمد ، حدثنا حميد الطويل ، ورجل آخر ، عن أنس بن مالك قال : سئل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن قول الله ، عز وجل : ( والقناطير المقنطرة ) قال : " القنطار ألفا أوقية " . صحيح على شرط الشيخين ولم يخرجاه ، هكذا رواه الحاكم .وقد رواه ابن أبي حاتم بلفظ آخر فقال : حدثنا أحمد بن عبد الرحمن الرقي ، حدثنا عمرو بن أبي سلمة ، حدثنا زهير - يعني ابن محمد - حدثنا حميد الطويل ورجل آخر قد سماه - يعني يزيد الرقاشي - عن أنس ، عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في قوله : قنطار ، يعني ألف دينار " .

وهكذا [ رواه ] ابن مردويه ، ورواه الطبراني ، عن عبد الله بن محمد بن أبي مريم ، عن عمرو بن أبي سلمة ، فذكر بإسناده مثله سواء .وروى ابن جرير عن الحسن البصري مرسلا عنه وموقوفا عليه : القنطار ألف ومائتا دينار . وكذا رواه العوفي عن ابن عباس .وقال الضحاك : من العرب من يقول : القنطار ألف دينار . ومنهم من يقول : اثنا عشر ألفا .وقال ابن أبي حاتم : حدثنا أبي ، حدثنا عارم ، عن حماد ، عن سعيد الجريري عن أبي نضرة ، عن أبي سعيد الخدري ، رضي الله عنه ، قال : [ القنطار ] ملء مسك الثور ذهبا .قال أبو محمد : ورواه محمد بن موسى الحرشي ، عن حماد بن زيد ، مرفوعا . والموقوف أصح .وحب الخيل على ثلاثة أقسام ، تارة يكون ربطها أصحابها معدة لسبيل الله تعالى ، متى احتاجوا إليها غزوا عليها ، فهؤلاء يثابون . وتارة تربط فخرا ونواء لأهل الإسلام ، فهذه على صاحبها وزر . وتارة للتعفف واقتناء نسلها .

ولم ينس حق الله في رقابها ، فهذه لصاحبها ستر ، كما سيأتي الحديث بذلك [ إن شاء الله تعالى ] عند قوله تعالى : ( وأعدوا لهم ما استطعتم من قوة ومن رباط الخيل [ ترهبون به عدو الله وعدوكم ] ) [ الأنفال : 60 ] .وأما ( المسومة ) فعن ابن عباس ، رضي الله عنهما : المسومة الراعية ، والمطهمة الحسان ، وكذا روي عن مجاهد ، وعكرمة ، وسعيد بن جبير ، وعبد الرحمن بن عبد الله بن أبزى ، والسدي ، والربيع بن أنس ، وأبي سنان وغيرهم .وقال مكحول : المسومة : الغرة والتحجيل .

وقيل غير ذلك .وقد قال الإمام أحمد : حدثنا يحيى بن سعيد ، عن عبد الحميد بن جعفر ، عن يزيد بن أبي حبيب ، عن سويد بن قيس ، عن معاوية بن حديج ، عن أبي ذر ، رضي الله عنه ، قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " ليس من فرس عربي إلا يؤذن له مع كل فجر يدعو بدعوتين ، يقول : اللهم إنك خولتني من خولتني من ] بني آدم ، فاجعلني من أحب ماله وأهله إليه ، أو أحب أهله وماله إليه " .وقوله : ( والأنعام ) يعني الإبل والبقر والغنم ( والحرث ) يعني الأرض المتخذة للغراس والزراعة .قال الإمام أحمد : حدثنا روح بن عبادة ، حدثنا أبو نعامة العدوي ، عن مسلم بن بديل عن إياس بن زهير ، عن سويد بن هبيرة ، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : " خير مال امرئ له مهرة مأمورة ، أو سكة مأبورة " المأمورة : الكثيرة النسل ، والسكة : النخل المصطف ، والمأبورة : الملقحة .ثم قال تعالى : ( ذلك متاع الحياة الدنيا ) أي : إنما هذا زهرة الحياة الدنيا وزينتها الفانية الزائلة ( والله عنده حسن المآب ) أي : حسن المرجع والثواب .وقد قال ابن جرير : حدثنا ابن حميد ، حدثنا جرير ، عن عطاء ، عن أبي بكر بن حفص بن عمر بن سعد قال : قال عمر بن الخطاب ، رضي الله عنه : لما أنزلت : ( زين للناس حب الشهوات ) قلت : الآن يا رب حين زينتها لنا فنزلت : ( قل أؤنبئكم بخير من ذلكم للذين اتقوا [ عند ربهم جنات تجري من تحتها الأنهار ] ) .