Surah Al-Munaafiqoon (63) — Ayah 9

(Ayah 9) ➊ In {يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ اَمْوَالُكُمْ وَ لَاۤ اَوْلَادُكُمْ: ’’لاَ تُلْهِ‘‘ ’’لَهْوٌ‘‘}, from the baab if‘aal, {’’أَلْهٰي يُلْهِيْ‘‘} is the prohibitive verb for third person feminine singular, {’’كُمْ‘‘} is its direct object, and {’’ اَمْوَالُكُمْ وَ لَاۤ اَوْلَادُكُمْ ‘‘} is the subject. Because the subject is a broken plural, the verb is brought in the singular feminine form.

➋ After describing the evil deeds of the hypocrites, all believers—whether sincere or hypocrites—are advised to beware of those two things which are a trial for humans and a cause of hypocrisy, as He said: « اَنَّمَااَمْوَالُكُمْ وَ اَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ » [ التغابن : ۱۵ ] “Your wealth and your children are only a trial.” And He said, beware! Your wealth and your children should not distract you from the remembrance of Allah, such that because of them you abandon prayer, or stop spending in the way of Allah, or refrain from going out for jihad, or because of them you start committing lies and betrayal. From this it is understood that if a person’s wealth and children do not distract him from the remembrance of Allah, then they are not blameworthy, and it is also understood that if anything else besides wealth and children distracts from the remembrance of Allah, that too is blameworthy, such as games and amusements, gatherings of friends, and the desire for fame, etc. Ka‘b bin ‘Iyad (may Allah be pleased with him) says that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: [ إِنَّ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فِتْنَةً، وَإِنَّ فِتْنَةَ أُمَّتِي الْمَالُ ] [ مسند أحمد : 160/4، ح : ۱۷۴۷۱، قال المحقق حدیث صحیح ] “Every nation has a trial, and the trial of my nation is wealth.” Ya‘la ‘Amiri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Hasan and Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both) came running to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he embraced them and said: [ إِنَّ الْوَلَدَ مَبْخَلَةٌ مَجْبَنَةٌ ] [ ابن ماجہ، الأدب، باب بر الوالد و الإحسان إلی البنات : ۳۶۶۶ ] “Indeed, children are a cause of miserliness and cowardice.” See also the commentary of Surah Al-Kahf, Ayah (46): «اَلْمَالُ وَ الْبَنُوْنَ زِيْنَةُ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا ».

➌ By { عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ: ’’ ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘}, not only prayer, fasting, and verbal remembrance are meant, but remembering one’s Lord at all times in every action is intended, that if the Master permits, then do that action, and if not, then do not. Similarly, strive as much as possible to do every action He has commanded and refrain from what He has forbidden.

➍ By bringing alif-lam on {وَ مَنْ يَّفْعَلْ ذٰلِكَ فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْخٰسِرُوْنَ: ’’ الْخٰسِرُوْنَ ‘‘} and the separating pronoun before it, emphasis and exclusivity are conveyed, that the real losers are only those whom their wealth and children distract from the remembrance of Allah. If, due to maintaining the remembrance of Allah, there is a loss in wealth and children, Allah has not considered that a loss, because wealth and children are perishable and the remembrance of Allah is everlasting. Whoever leaves the everlasting for the perishable is the one who truly incurs loss.

9. 1. That is, the love of wealth and children prevails over you to such an extent that you become heedless of the commands and obligations prescribed by Allah, and you do not care about the limits of halal and haram established by Allah.

O you who believe! Let neither your wealth nor your children [14] distract you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does so, it is they who are the losers.

[14] Wealth and children are mentioned because every person is mostly interested in them; otherwise, this includes every occupation or activity that makes one heedless of the remembrance of Allah. And the result of heedlessness from the remembrance of Allah appears in the form of immorality and wickedness. The distinction between lawful and unlawful earnings is lost, and a person becomes astray in every field of life.