Surah Maryam, Ayah 77

Refuting the Disbelievers Who claim that They will be given Wealth and Children in the Hereafter

Imam Ahmad reported from Khabbab bin Al-Aratt that he said, "I was a blacksmith and Al-" ®256؛لs bin Wa'il owed me a debt. So I went to him to collect my debt from him. He said to me, `No, by Allah, I will not pay my debt to you until you disbelieve in Muhammad ﷺ.' I replied to him, `No, by Allah, I will not disbelieve in Muhammad ﷺ until you die and are resurrected again.' He then said to me, `Verily, if I die and am resurrected, and you come to me, I will also have abundance of wealth and children and I will repay you then.' Then, Allah revealed these Ayat,

أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِى كَفَرَ بِـَايَـتِنَا وَقَالَ لأوتَيَنَّ مَالاً وَوَلَداً

(Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our Ayat and said: "I shall certainly be given wealth and children.") until,

وَيَأْتِينَا فَرْداً

(and he shall come to Us alone.) This was also recorded by the two compilers of the Sahihs and other collections as well. In the wording of Al-Bukhari it states that Khabbab said, "I used to be a blacksmith in Makkah and I made a sword for Al-" ®256؛لs bin Wa'il. So I went to him to collect my pay from him..." then he mentioned the rest of the Hadith and he said,

أَمِ اتَّخَذَ عِندَ الرَّحْمَـنِ عَهْداً

(or has he taken a covenant from the Most Gracious) "This means an agreement. " Concerning Allah's statement,

أَطَّلَعَ الْغَيْبَ

(Has he known the Unseen) This is a rejection of the person who says,

لأوتَيَنَّ مَالاً وَوَلَداً

(I shall certainly be given wealth and children.) Meaning, on the Day of Resurrection. In other words, "Does he know what he will have in the Hereafter, to such an extent that he can swear to it"

أَمِ اتَّخَذَ عِندَ الرَّحْمَـنِ عَهْداً

(or has he taken a covenant from the Most Gracious) Or has he received a promise from Allah that he will be given these things It has already been stated that in Sahih Al-Bukhari it is mentioned that covenant means an agreement. Concerning Allah's statement,

كَلاَّ

(Nay,) This is a participle that opposes what came before it and gives emphasis to what follows it.

سَنَكْتُبُ مَا يَقُولُ

(We shall record what he says,) what he is seeking, and his idea that he has given himself about what he hopes for, and his disbelief in Allah the Most Great.

وَنَمُدُّ لَهُ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ مَدّاً

(We shall increase his torment. ) This is referring to what will happen in the abode of the Hereafter, because of his saying his disbelief in Allah in this life.

وَنَرِثُهُ مَا يَقُولُ

(And We shall inherit from him all that he speaks of,) His wealth and children. It means, "We will take all of this from him, in opposition to his claim that he will be given more wealth and children in the Hereafter than he had in this life." To the contrary, in the Hereafter that which he had in this life will be taken from him. This is why Allah says,

وَيَأْتِينَا فَرْداً

(And he shall come to Us alone.) without wealth or children.

وَاتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ ءالِهَةً لِّيَكُونُواْ لَهُمْ عِزّاً

كَلاَّ سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَـدَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدّاً

Commentary

لَأُوتَيَنَّ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا ("I shall certainly be given wealth and children". - 19:77) Bukhari and Muslim relate the story of Sayyidna Khabab Ibn Al-'Aratt ؓ who had lent some money to ` As Ibn Wa’ il. When pressed to return the loan, ` As Ibn Wa’ il said that he would not make the payment until he (Sayyidna Khabab ؓ dissociated himself from the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Sayyidna Khabab ؓ replied that he would never do that - not until ` As was dead and rose to life again. At this ` As Ibn Wa’ il said, "What? Will I be brought to life again after I am dead? If so I will repay the loan only after I am brought back to life again because even then I will have my wealth and my children." (Qurtubi)

To be rightly guided means the arousal of one’s consciousness and the turning of it in the right direction. Whatever the circumstances, and whatever events befall a rightly guided man, he interprets them correctly and his soul derives nourishment from them. In this way there is a constant increase in the guidance he receives in terms of faith and quality of life. The guidance received by him is not like a stagnant pool or a lifeless rock: it is like a living and ever-growing tree. Just as one who keeps worldly interests in view progresses in this world, similarly, one who acts with the Hereafter in view keeps on accumulating his good deeds. But as they are being amassed and stored in the Hereafter, their build-up is not visible in this world. However, when Doomsday tears apart the veil, everybody will see how the guidance of the guided one was being enhanced and how, along with this, his righteous deeds were also accruing.