سُوْرَةُ الْمُنَافِقُوْنَ
Surah Al-Munaafiqoon (63) — Ayah 9
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ ﴿9﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allâh. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
you (who)
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
لَا
lā
(Let) not
تُلْهِكُمْ
tul'hikum
divert you
أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ
amwālukum
your wealth
وَلَآ
walā
and not
أَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ
awlādukum
your children
عَن
ʿan
from
ذِكْرِ
dhik'ri
(the) remembrance
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
يَفْعَلْ
yafʿal
does
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
fa-ulāika
then those
هُمُ
humu
[they]
ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ
l-khāsirūna
(are) the losers
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 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.
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.
