سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 46
ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿46﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous deeds, that last, are better with your Lord for rewards and better in respect of hope.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱلْمَالُ
al-mālu
The wealth
وَٱلْبَنُونَ
wal-banūna
and children
زِينَةُ
zīnatu
(are) adornment
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ
l-ḥayati
(of) the life
ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ
wal-bāqiyātu
But the enduring
ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ
l-ṣāliḥātu
good deeds
خَيْرٌ
khayrun
(are) better
عِندَ
ʿinda
near
رَبِّكَ
rabbika
your Lord
ثَوَابًۭا
thawāban
(for) reward
وَخَيْرٌ
wakhayrun
and better
أَمَلًۭا
amalan
(for) hope
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
Wealth and children are but adornments [42] of the worldly life, but the enduring good deeds with your Lord are better in reward and better to hope for.
[42]
The Enduring Good Deeds:
Wealth, property, and children are certainly sources of interest for a person, but one should not become so enamored with these things that he forgets Allah Almighty and the life of the Hereafter, and relies solely on these things. Rather, he should attach his hopes to those things which are not perishable but everlasting, and those are his righteous deeds, for which the reward is also very good and on which expectations can be placed. And the Prophet ﷺ said that these words: ﴿سبحان اللّٰه والحمد للّٰه ولا الّٰه الا اللّٰه واللّٰه اكبر ولا حول ولا قوة الا باللّٰه﴾ are the enduring good deeds. Sometimes a person initiates such righteous acts that people continue to benefit from them for a long time afterward; the reward for such deeds continues to reach him even after his death, such as if someone leaves behind righteous children who pray for him, or establishes a religious school, as long as teaching and learning continue there, he will continue to receive a share of the reward, or does some work for public welfare, such as digging a well, building a rest house, hospital, garden, or dedicating something else for the benefit of the general public. [مسلم كتاب الوصية باب مايلحق الانسان من الثواب بعد وفاته]
These are the things in which a person should expend his efforts. One should not become absorbed in the perishable things of the world.
[42]
The Enduring Good Deeds:
Wealth, property, and children are certainly sources of interest for a person, but one should not become so enamored with these things that he forgets Allah Almighty and the life of the Hereafter, and relies solely on these things. Rather, he should attach his hopes to those things which are not perishable but everlasting, and those are his righteous deeds, for which the reward is also very good and on which expectations can be placed. And the Prophet ﷺ said that these words: ﴿سبحان اللّٰه والحمد للّٰه ولا الّٰه الا اللّٰه واللّٰه اكبر ولا حول ولا قوة الا باللّٰه﴾ are the enduring good deeds. Sometimes a person initiates such righteous acts that people continue to benefit from them for a long time afterward; the reward for such deeds continues to reach him even after his death, such as if someone leaves behind righteous children who pray for him, or establishes a religious school, as long as teaching and learning continue there, he will continue to receive a share of the reward, or does some work for public welfare, such as digging a well, building a rest house, hospital, garden, or dedicating something else for the benefit of the general public. [مسلم كتاب الوصية باب مايلحق الانسان من الثواب بعد وفاته]
These are the things in which a person should expend his efforts. One should not become absorbed in the perishable things of the world.
