سُوْرَةُ سَبَاٍ
Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 37
وَمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُم بِٱلَّتِى تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِندَنَا زُلْفَىٰٓ إِلَّا مَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ جَزَآءُ ٱلضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَهُمْ فِى ٱلْغُرُفَـٰتِ ءَامِنُونَ ﴿37﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer to Us (i.e. please Allâh), but only he who believes (in the Islâmic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds (will please Us); as for such, there will be twofold reward for what they did, and they will reside in the high dwellings (Paradise) in peace and security.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَآ
wamā
And not
أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ
amwālukum
your wealth
وَلَآ
walā
and not
أَوْلَـٰدُكُم
awlādukum
your children
بِٱلَّتِى
bi-allatī
[that]
تُقَرِّبُكُمْ
tuqarribukum
will bring you close
عِندَنَا
ʿindanā
to Us
زُلْفَىٰٓ
zul'fā
(in) position
إِلَّا
illā
but
مَنْ
man
whoever
ءَامَنَ
āmana
believes
وَعَمِلَ
waʿamila
and does
صَـٰلِحًۭا
ṣāliḥan
righteousness
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
fa-ulāika
then those
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
جَزَآءُ
jazāu
(will be) reward
ٱلضِّعْفِ
l-ḍiʿ'fi
two-fold
بِمَا
bimā
for what
عَمِلُوا۟
ʿamilū
they did
وَهُمْ
wahum
and they
فِى
fī
(will be) in
ٱلْغُرُفَـٰتِ
l-ghurufāti
the high dwellings
ءَامِنُونَ
āminūna
secure
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 37) ➊ { وَ مَاۤ اَمْوَالُكُمْ وَ لَاۤ اَوْلَادُكُمْ …:} This sentence has two meanings: one is that wealth and children are not things that can become a means of nearness to Allah, rather, these very things often become, for most people, a cause of Allah’s anger and wrath instead of nearness, and they drown them. Instead, the standard for nearness to Allah is faith and righteous deeds. The second meaning of {’’ اِلَّا مَنْ اٰمَنَ وَ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا ‘‘} is that if a person brings faith and also brings righteous deeds, then this very wealth and children can become a means of nearness to Allah for him. That is, he keeps spending his wealth in the way of Allah and, by giving his children proper education and upbringing, makes them obedient to Allah. (Tayseer al-Qur’an)
➋ The opposite of { فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ لَهُمْ جَزَآءُ الضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُوْا : ’’ الضِّعْفِ ‘‘ ’’نِصْفٌ‘‘} is meant, that is, the like of something, just as much more, and then this word is used in the meaning of many times over, which can be ten times, seven hundred times, or even more than that. See Surah Al-Baqarah (2:261).
➌ { وَ هُمْ فِي الْغُرُفٰتِ : ’’اَلْغُرْفَةُ‘‘} High and lofty building, upper chamber. Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ يَتَرَاءَوْنَ أَهْلَ الْغُرَفِ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ كَمَا يَتَرَاءَوْنَ الْكَوْكَبَ الدُّرِّيَّ الْغَابِرَ فِي الْأُفُقِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ أَوِ الْمَغْرِبِ، لِتَفَاضُلِ مَا بَيْنَهُمْ، قَالُوْا يَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ! تِلْكَ مَنَازِلُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ لَا يَبْلُغُهَا غَيْرُهُمْ، قَالَ بَلٰی، وَالَّذِيْ نَفْسِيْ بِيَدِهِ! رِجَالٌ آمَنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ صَدَّقُوا الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ ] [بخاري، بدء الخلق، باب ما جاء في صفۃ الجنۃ … : ۳۲۵۶ ] “The people of Paradise will look at those above them in upper chambers as you see that star which is on the horizon in the east or west, because some of them will be superior to others.” The people said: “O Messenger of Allah! These will be the houses of the Prophets, which no one else will be able to reach?” He (peace be upon him) said: “Why not! By Him in Whose hand is my soul! Those people (will reach there) who believed in Allah and confirmed the Messengers.”
➍ { اٰمِنُوْنَ :} They will be without fear because the blessings of Paradise will be eternal and everlasting, and their worldly fears will be removed.
➋ The opposite of { فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ لَهُمْ جَزَآءُ الضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُوْا : ’’ الضِّعْفِ ‘‘ ’’نِصْفٌ‘‘} is meant, that is, the like of something, just as much more, and then this word is used in the meaning of many times over, which can be ten times, seven hundred times, or even more than that. See Surah Al-Baqarah (2:261).
➌ { وَ هُمْ فِي الْغُرُفٰتِ : ’’اَلْغُرْفَةُ‘‘} High and lofty building, upper chamber. Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ يَتَرَاءَوْنَ أَهْلَ الْغُرَفِ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ كَمَا يَتَرَاءَوْنَ الْكَوْكَبَ الدُّرِّيَّ الْغَابِرَ فِي الْأُفُقِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ أَوِ الْمَغْرِبِ، لِتَفَاضُلِ مَا بَيْنَهُمْ، قَالُوْا يَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ! تِلْكَ مَنَازِلُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ لَا يَبْلُغُهَا غَيْرُهُمْ، قَالَ بَلٰی، وَالَّذِيْ نَفْسِيْ بِيَدِهِ! رِجَالٌ آمَنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ صَدَّقُوا الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ ] [بخاري، بدء الخلق، باب ما جاء في صفۃ الجنۃ … : ۳۲۵۶ ] “The people of Paradise will look at those above them in upper chambers as you see that star which is on the horizon in the east or west, because some of them will be superior to others.” The people said: “O Messenger of Allah! These will be the houses of the Prophets, which no one else will be able to reach?” He (peace be upon him) said: “Why not! By Him in Whose hand is my soul! Those people (will reach there) who believed in Allah and confirmed the Messengers.”
➍ { اٰمِنُوْنَ :} They will be without fear because the blessings of Paradise will be eternal and everlasting, and their worldly fears will be removed.
