سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 14
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱلْقَنَـٰطِيرِ ٱلْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ وَٱلْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسْنُ ٱلْمَـَٔابِ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world’s life; but Allâh has the excellent return (Paradise with flowing rivers) with Him.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
زُيِّنَ
zuyyina
Beautified
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnāsi
for mankind
حُبُّ
ḥubbu
(is) love
ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ
l-shahawāti
(of) the (things they) desire
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلنِّسَآءِ
l-nisāi
[the] women
وَٱلْبَنِينَ
wal-banīna
and [the] sons
وَٱلْقَنَـٰطِيرِ
wal-qanāṭīri
and [the] heaps
ٱلْمُقَنطَرَةِ
l-muqanṭarati
[the] stored up
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلذَّهَبِ
l-dhahabi
[the] gold
وَٱلْفِضَّةِ
wal-fiḍati
and [the] silver
وَٱلْخَيْلِ
wal-khayli
and [the] horses
ٱلْمُسَوَّمَةِ
l-musawamati
[the] branded
وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ
wal-anʿāmi
and [the] cattle
وَٱلْحَرْثِ ۗ
wal-ḥarthi
and [the] tilled land
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
مَتَـٰعُ
matāʿu
(is) provision
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ
l-ḥayati
(of) life
ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
but Allah
عِندَهُۥ
ʿindahu
with Him
حُسْنُ
ḥus'nu
(is an) excellent
ٱلْمَـَٔابِ
l-maābi
[the] abode to return
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 14) ➊ { ”الشَّهَوٰتِ“ } is the plural of {’’ شَهْوَةٌ ‘‘}, which means "the soul being attracted towards something desirable." Here, { ”الشَّهَوٰتِ“ } refers to those things that are pleasing to the nature, that is, the verbal noun is used in the sense of the passive participle { ’’ مُشْتَهَيَاتٌ ‘‘}, and in { ”مِنَ النِّسَآءِ“ } the {’’مِنْ‘‘} is explanatory, meaning these things are as follows. The singular of { ”وَ الْقَنَاطِيْرِ“ } is { ’’ قِنْطَارٌ ‘‘}, and there are various opinions regarding its amount, but the summary of all is that a large amount of wealth is called {’’ قِنْطَارٌ‘‘}. (Ibn Kathir, Shawkani) In our language, it can be translated as "treasures." { ”مَتَاعُ“ } refers to those items from which benefit is derived. The summary is that if a person gets entangled in the love of these things and becomes heedless of Allah and His religion, and considers them a means of pride and adornment, and becomes arrogant and boastful, then all these things are blameworthy. Otherwise, if all these things are considered as blessings from Allah and are made a means for the Hereafter, and benefit is taken from them within the limits of Shariah, then they are not blameworthy or disliked, but rather highly desirable and praiseworthy. The real thing is intention and action, that is why in the hadith, on one hand, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "After me, there is no trial more harmful to men than women." [بخاری، النکاح، باب ما یتقی من شؤم المرأۃ … : ۵۰۹۶، عن أسامۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ] And on the other hand, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The world is an enjoyment (a means of benefit), and the best enjoyment of it is a righteous woman." [مسلم، النکاح، باب خیر متاع الدنیا … ۱۴۶۹، عن ابن عمرورضی اللہ عنہما] And he also said: "From the world, women and perfume have been made beloved to me." [نسائی، عشرۃ النساء، باب حب النساء : ۳۳۹۱، عن أنس رضی اللہ عنہ، قال الألبانی حسن صحیح ] At the end of the verse, by declaring them as the provision of worldly life, emphasis has been placed on disinterest in worldly life and eagerness for the Hereafter. (Ibn Kathir, Shawkani)
➋ { ”الْخَيْلِ} is a plural noun, derived from { ’’خُيَلاَءٌ ‘‘}, which means arrogance. There is a kind of arrogance in the gait of a horse. { ”الْمُسَوَّمَةِ“ }—if it is derived from {’’سِيْمَا ‘‘} or {’’سِيْمِيَاءُ ‘‘}, it means marked horses, and if it is derived from {’’ سَوْمٌ ‘‘ }, it means horses left to graze. {”الْاَنْعَامِ“} is the plural of {’’نَعَمٌ ‘‘}, meaning camels, cows, goats, etc., and is mostly used for camels.
➋ { ”الْخَيْلِ} is a plural noun, derived from { ’’خُيَلاَءٌ ‘‘}, which means arrogance. There is a kind of arrogance in the gait of a horse. { ”الْمُسَوَّمَةِ“ }—if it is derived from {’’سِيْمَا ‘‘} or {’’سِيْمِيَاءُ ‘‘}, it means marked horses, and if it is derived from {’’ سَوْمٌ ‘‘ }, it means horses left to graze. {”الْاَنْعَامِ“} is the plural of {’’نَعَمٌ ‘‘}, meaning camels, cows, goats, etc., and is mostly used for camels.
