Saba, Sheba — Verse 35

How Those Who lived a Life of Luxury disbelieved in the Messengers and were misled by Their pursuit of Wealth and Children Allah is consoling His Prophet and commanding him to follow the example of the Messengers that came before him. He tells him that no Prophet was ever sent to a township but those among its people who lived a life of luxury disbelieved in him, and the weaker people of the town followed him. The people of Nuh, peace be upon him, said to him: أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الاٌّرْذَلُونَ (Shall we believe in you, when the weakest (of the people) follow you) (26:110) وَمَا نَرَاكَ اتَّبَعَكَ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِىَ الرَّأْى (nor do we see any follow you but the meanest among us and they (too) followed you without thinking) (11:27). The leaders among the people of Salih said: قَالَ الْمَلأ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ مِن قَوْمِهِ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِمَنْ ءَامَنَ مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَـلِحاً مُّرْسَلٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ قَالُواْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلَ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ - قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ إِنَّا بِالَّذِى ءَامَنتُمْ بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ (to those who were counted weak -- to such of them as believed: "Know you that Salih is one sent from his Lord." They said: "We indeed believe in that with which he has been sent." Those who were arrogant said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that which you believe in.") (7:75-76). And Allah said: وَكَذلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لِّيَقُولواْ أَهَـؤُلاءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّن بَيْنِنَآ أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِالشَّـكِرِينَ (Thus We have tried some of them with others, that they might say: "Is it these (poor believers) that Allah has favored from among us" Does not Allah know best those who are grateful) (6:53), وَكَذلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَـبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُواْ فِيهَا (And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people to plot therein) (6:123), and وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيْهَا الْقَوْلُ فَدَمَّرْنَاهَا تَدْمِيرًا (And when We decide to destroy a town (population), We (first) send a definite order to those among them who lead a life of luxury. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the Word (of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy it with complete destruction) (17:16). And Allah says here: وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ And We did not send a warner to a township meaning a Prophet or a Messenger, إِلاَّ قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ (but those who were given the worldly wealth and luxuries among them) means, those who enjoyed a life of riches and luxury, and positions of leadership. Qatadah said, "They are their tyrants, chiefs and leaders in evil." إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ (We believe not in the (Message) with which you have been sent.) means, `we do not believe in it and we will not follow it.' Allah tells us that those who enjoyed a life of luxury and who disbelieved the Messengers said: وَقَالُواْ نَحْنُ أَكْثَـرُ أَمْوَلاً وَأَوْلَـداً وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ (And they say: "We are more in wealth and in children, and we are not going to be punished.") meaning, they were proud of their great wealth and great numbers of children, and they believed that this was a sign that Allah loved them and cared for them, and that if He gave them this in this world, He would not punish them in the Hereafter. This was too far-fetched. Allah says: أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُمْ بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ - نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِى الْخَيْرَتِ بَل لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ (Do they think that in wealth and children with which We enlarge them We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not.) (23:55-56) فَلاَ تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَلُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلَـدُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـفِرُونَ (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, and that their souls shall depart while they are disbelievers.) (9:55), and ذَرْنِى وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيداً - وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُ مَالاً مَّمْدُوداً - وَبَنِينَ شُهُوداً - وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُ تَمْهِيداً - ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ - كَلاَّ إِنَّهُ كان لاٌّيَـتِنَا عَنِيداً - سَأُرْهِقُهُ صَعُوداً (Leave Me Alone (to deal) with whom I created lonely. And then granted him resources in abundance. And children to be by his side. And made life smooth and comfortable for him. After all that he desires that I should give more. Nay! Verily, he has been opposing Our Ayat. I shall oblige him to face a severe torment!) (74:11-17) And Allah has told us about the story of the owner of those two gardens, that he had wealth and crops and children, but that could not help him at all when all of that was taken from him in this world, before he reached the Hereafter. Allah says here: قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ (Say: "Verily, my Lord expands the provision to whom He wills and restricts...") meaning, He gives wealth to those whom He loves and those whom He does not love, and He makes poor whom He wills and makes rich whom He wills. He has complete wisdom and clear proof, وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ (but most men know not.) Then Allah says: وَمَآ أَمْوَلُكُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلَـدُكُمْ بِالَّتِى تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِندَنَا زُلْفَى (And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer to Us,) meaning, `these things are not a sign that We love you or care for you.' Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ، وَلَكِنْ إِنَّمَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُم» (Allah does not look at your outward appearance or your wealth, rather He looks at your hearts and your deeds.) Muslim and Ibn Majah also recorded this. Allah says: إِلاَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً (but only he who believes, and does righteous deeds;) meaning, `only faith and righteous deeds will bring you closer to Us.' فَأُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ جَزَآءُ الضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ (as for such, there will be multiple rewards for what they did,) means, the reward will be multiplied for them between ten and seven hundred times. وَهُمْ فِى الْغُرُفَـتِ ءَامِنُونَ (and they will reside in the high dwellings in peace and security.) means, in the lofty dwellings of Paradise, safe from all misery, fear and harm, and from any evil they could fear. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ لَغُرَفًا تُرَى ظُهُورُهَا مِنْ بُطُونِهَا، وَبُطُونُهَا مِنْ ظُهُورِهَا» (In Paradise there are lofty rooms whose outside can be seen from the inside and whose inside can be seen from the outside.) A bedouin asked, "Who are they for" He said: «لِمَنْ طَيَّبَ الْكَلَامَ، وَأَطْعَمَ الطَّعَامَ، وَأَدَامَ الصِّيَامَ، وَصَلَّى بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَام» (For those who speak well, feed the hungry, persist in fasting and pray at night while people are asleep.) وَالَّذِينَ يَسْعَوْنَ فِى ءَايَـتِنَا مُعَـجِزِينَ (And those who strive against Our Ayat, to frustrate them,) means, those who try to block people from the path of Allah and from following His Messengers and believing in His signs, فَأُوْلَـئِكَ فِى الْعَذَابِ مُحْضَرُونَ they will be brought to the torment. means, they will all be punished for their deeds, each one accordingly.

And they say ‘We possess more wealth and children than those who are believers and we shall not be chastised’.

وقالوا: نحن أكثر منكم أموالا وأولادًا، والله لم يعطنا هذه النعم إلا لرضاه عنا، وما نحن بمعذَّبين في الدنيا ولا في الآخرة.

"وقالوا نحن أكثر أموالا وأولادا وما نحن بمعذبين " أي افتخروا بكثرة الأموال والأولاد واعتقدوا أن ذلك دليل على محبة الله تعالى لهم واعتنائه بهم وأنه ما كان ليعطيهم هذا في الدنيا ثم يعذبهم في الآخرة وهيهات لهم ذلك قال الله تعالى " أيحسبون أنما نمدهم به من مال وبنين نسارع لهم في الخيرات بل لا يشعرون " وقال تبارك وتعالى: " فلا تعجبك أموالهم ولا أولادهم إنما يريد الله ليعذبهم بها في الحياة الدنيا وتزهق أنفسهم وهم كافرون " وقال عز وجل " ذرني ومن خلقت وحيدا وجعلت له مالا ممدودا وبنين شهودا ومهدت له تمهيدا ثم يطمع أن أزيد كلا إنه كان لآياتنا عنيدا سأرهقه صعودا " وقد أخر الله عز وجل عن صاحب تينك الجنتين أنه كان ذا مال وثمر وولد ثم لم يغن عنه شيئا بل سلب ذلك كله في الدنيا قبل الآخرة ولهذا قال عز وجل ها هنا.

ثم يحكى القرآن الكريم أن هؤلاء المترفين لم يكتفوا بإعلان كفرهم ، وتكذيبهم للأنبياء والمصلحين ، بل أضافوا إلى ذلك التبجح والتعالى على المؤمنين . فقال - تعالى - : ( وَقَالُواْ ) أى المترفون الذين أبطرتهم النعمة للمؤمنين الفقراء ( نَحْنُ أَكْثَرُ أَمْوَالاً وَأَوْلاَداً ) منكم - أيها المؤمنون - إذ أموالنا أكثر من أموالكم ، وأولادنا أكثر من أولادكم ، ولولا أننا أفضل عند الله منكم ، لما اعطانا . مالا يعطيكم . .فنحن نعيش حياتنا فى أمان واطمئنان ( وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ) بشئ من العذاب الذى تعدوننا به لا فى الدنيا ولا فى الآخرة .قال الامام ابن كثير تفسيره هذه الآية : افتخر المترفون - بكثرة الأموال والأولاد ، واعتقدوا أن ذلك دليل على محبة الله لهم ، واعتنائه بهم ، وأنه ما كان ليعطيهم هذا فى الدنيا ، ثم يعذبهم فى الآخرة ، وهيهات فى الآخرة ، وهيهات لهم ذلك . قال - تعالى - : ( فَلاَ تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلاَدُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الله لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الحياة الدنيا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ ).

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَقَالُوا نَحْنُ أَكْثَرُ أَمْوَالا وَأَوْلادًا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ (35)يقول تعالى ذكره: وقال أهل الاستكبار على الله من كل قرية أرسلنا فيها نذيرًا لأنبيائنا ورسلنا: نحن أكثر أموالا وأولادًا وما نحن في الآخرة بمعذبين لأن الله لو لم يكن راضيًا ما نحن عليه من الملة والعمل لم يخولنا الأموال والأولاد، ولم يبسط لنا في الرزق، وإنما أعطانا ما أعطانا من ذلك لرضاه أعمالنا، وآثرنا بما آثرنا على غيرنا لفضلنا، وزلفة لنا عنده.

( وقالوا ) يعني : قال المترفون للفقراء الذين آمنوا : ( نحن أكثر أموالا وأولادا ) ولو لم يكن الله راضيا بما نحن عليه من الدين والعمل لم يخولنا الأموال والأولاد ( وما نحن بمعذبين ) أي : إن الله أحسن إلينا في الدنيا بالمال والولد فلا يعذبنا .

وَقَالُوا نَحْنُ أَكْثَرُ أَمْوَالًا وَأَوْلَادًا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ (35) قَفّوْا على صريح كفرهم بالقرآن وغيره من الشرائع بكلام كَنَّوْا به عن إبطال حقية الإِسلام بدليل سفسطائي فجعلوا كثرة أموالهم وأولادهم حجة على أنهم أهل حظ عند الله تعالى ، فضمير { وقالوا } عائد إلى { الذين كفروا } من قوله : { وقال الذين كفروا لن نؤمن بهذا القرآن } [ سبأ : 31 ] الخ . وهذا من تمويه الحقائق بما يحفّ بها من العوارض فجعلوا ما حف بحالهم في كفرهم من وفرة المال والولد حجةً على أنهم مظنة العناية عند الله وأن ما هم عليه هو الحق . وهذا تعريض منهم بعكس حال المسلمين بأن حال ضعف المسلمين ، وقلة عددهم ، وشظِف عيشهم حجة على أنهم غير محظوظين عند الله ، ولم يتفطنوا إلى أن أحوال الدنيا مسببة على أسباب دنيوية لا علاقة لها بأحوال الأولاد . وهذا المبدأ الوهمي السفسطائي خطير في العقائد الضالة التي كانت لأهل الجاهلية والمنتشرة عند غير المسلمين ، ولا يخلو المسلمون من قريب منها في تصرفاتهم في الدين ومرجعها إلى قياس الغائب على الشاهد وهو قياس يصادف الصواب تارة ويخطئه تارات .ومن أكبر أخطاء المسلمين في هذا الباب خطأ اللجَأ إلى القضاء والقدر في أعذارهم ، وخطأ التخلق بالتوكل في تقصيرهم وتكاسلهم .فجملة { وقالوا نحن أكثر أموالا وأولاداً } عطف على جملة { وقال الذين كفروا لن نؤمن بهذا القرآن } [ سبأ : 31 ] الخ ، وقولهم : { وما نحن بمعذبين } كالنتيجة لقولهم { نحن أكثر أموالا وأولاداً } ، وإنما جيء فيه بحرف العطف لترجيح جانب الفائدة المستقلة على جانب الاستنتاج الذي يومىء إليه ما تقدمه وهو قولهم : { نحن أكثر أموالاً وأولاداً } فحصل من هذا النظم استدلال لصحة دينهم ولإِبطال ما جاء به الإِسلام ثم الافتخار بذلك على المسلمين والضعة لِجانب المسلمين بإِشارة إلى قياس استثنائي بناء على ملازمة موهومة ، وكأنهم استدلوا بانتفاء التعذيب على أنهم مقرّبون عند الله بناء على قياس مساواة مطوي فكأنهم حصروا وسائل القرب عند الله في وفرة الأموال والأولاد . ولولا هذا التأويل لخلت كلتا الجملتين عن أهم معنييهما

{ وَقَالُوا نَحْنُ أَكْثَرُ أَمْوَالًا وَأَوْلَادًا } أي: ممن اتبع الحق { وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ } أي: أولا, لسنا بمبعوثين, فإن بعثنا, فالذي أعطانا الأموال والأولاد في الدنيا, سيعطينا أكثر من ذلك في الآخرة ولا يعذبنا.

وقالوا نحن أكثر أموالا وأولادا [ ص: 274 ] أي فضلنا عليكم بالأموال والأولاد ، ولو لم يكن ربكم راضيا بما نحن عليه من الدين والفضل لم يخولنا ذلك . وما نحن بمعذبين لأن من أحسن إليه فلا يعذبه ، فرد الله عليهم قولهم وما احتجوا به من الغنى فقال لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم :

Those who acquire wealth and power, rise to places of prominence in this world. This creates a sort of false confidence in them. Such people do not give due importance to the Hereafter, even when they are warned of it. They cannot believe that God, Who has given them honour in this world, will dishonour them in the Hereafter. This false confidence in every age has been the greatest cause of the rejection of the call for Truth by the influential members of a society; and when they look down upon something, men of lesser stature also hold it in contempt. In this way the common people as well as the elite are prevented from accepting the Truth. The wealth and other material things of this world are for the purpose of putting human beings to the test and are not meant as rewards. A surfeit of worldly effects is not a sign of nearness to God; nor does their shortage indicate being at a distance from Him. Only those who always remembered God and kept themselves within the limits laid down by Him, while availing of His divine bounty, are really close to God. These are the people who will be treated as deserving of God’s eternal blessings and rewards in the Hereafter.

Quoted in the next verse (35) is their saying: نَحْنُ أَكْثَرُ‌ أَمْوَالًا وَأَوْلَادًا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ which, in effect, means: "We are superior in riches and children, and we are not going to be punished - 35". (Obviously, by it, they meant: If we had been deserving of punishment in the sight of Allah Ta’ ala, why would He give us all this wealth and recognition)? The noble Qur'an gives an answer in the next two verses by saying:... نَحْنُ أَكْثَرُ‌ أَمْوَالًا وَأَوْلَادًا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ("I: fact, my Lord extends provision to whom He wills, and straitens (it for whom He wills), but most of the people do not know". 34:36] And neither your riches nor your children are the things that bring you near Us closely; however, the one who believes and acts righteously (is close to Us) وَمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُم 34:37). The gist of the answer is that having more wealth and recognition in this world, or not having any, is no proof of someone being acceptable or unacceptable in the sight of Allah. In fact, it is in view of creational considerations that Allah Ta’ ala would give, at least in this world, property and wealth in abundance to whomever He wills, and gives less to whomever He wills. He alone knows the creational consideration behind it. But, taking the abundance of wealth and children to be a proof of being acceptable in the sight of Allah is sheer ignorance because, with Him, the criterion of acceptability, approval, support and pleasure is no other but 'Iman (faith) and good deed. One who does not carry these two assets - no matter how much wealth and how many children one has - these cannot make him or her acceptable in the sight of Allah.

(And they say) to the messengers: (We are more (than you) in wealth and children. We are not the punished) because of our religion in spite of all the wealth and children that we have! And this is exactly what the disbelievers of Mecca said to Muhammad (pbuh).