This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal Kilani's book "Al-Wala Wal Bara" .
زینۃ حیاۃ الکفار فی ضوء القرآن
The purpose of giving disbelievers numerical majority and material progress in the world is to subject them to punishment in this world and the Hereafter.
[فَلَا تُعۡجِبۡکَ اَمۡوَالُہُمۡ وَ لَاۤ اَوۡلَادُہُمۡ ؕ اِنَّمَا یُرِیۡدُ اللّٰہُ لِیُعَذِّبَہُمۡ بِہَا فِی الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا وَ تَزۡہَقَ اَنۡفُسُہُمۡ وَ ہُمۡ کٰفِرُوۡنَ] O Prophet! Let not the wealth and children of the disbelievers deceive you (because) Allah intends to punish them with this wealth in the life of this world, and when they die, He will cause them to die in a state of disbelief (so that they may be punished in the Hereafter as well).
Reference: (Surah At-Tawbah:55)
In reward for some good deeds of the disbelievers, Allah grants them wealth, power, glory, and comfort in this world so that in the Hereafter they may go straight to Hell.
[وَ یَوۡمَ یُعۡرَضُ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا عَلَی النَّارِ ؕ اَذۡہَبۡتُمۡ طَیِّبٰتِکُمۡ فِیۡ حَیَاتِکُمُ الدُّنۡیَا وَ اسۡتَمۡتَعۡتُمۡ بِہَا ۚ فَالۡیَوۡمَ تُجۡزَوۡنَ عَذَابَ الۡہُوۡنِ بِمَا کُنۡتُمۡ تَسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ بِغَیۡرِ الۡحَقِّ وَ بِمَا کُنۡتُمۡ تَفۡسُقُوۡنَ]
And the Day the disbelievers will be presented before the Fire, it will be said to them, "You have come to enjoy your share of blessings in the worldly life and have taken your pleasure therein, so this Day you shall be recompensed with disgraceful punishment for the arrogance which you used to show in the land without right and for the defiance you used to practice."
Reference: (Surah Al-Ahqaf:20)
The purpose of giving disbelievers the maximum blessings in this world is to increase their sins and then to give them disgraceful punishment in the Hereafter.
[وَ لَا یَحۡسَبَنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡۤا اَنَّمَا نُمۡلِیۡ لَہُمۡ خَیۡرٌ لِّاَنۡفُسِہِمۡ ؕ اِنَّمَا نُمۡلِیۡ لَہُمۡ لِیَزۡدَادُوۡۤا اِثۡمًا ۚ وَ لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ مُّہِیۡنٌ]
This respite that We give to the disbelievers, let them not consider it good for themselves; We give them respite so that they may increase in sin, and for them is a humiliating punishment.
Reference: (Surah Aal-e-Imran:178)
The worldly grandeur and pride of the disbelievers is completely temporary and insignificant, after which they will receive the eternal punishment of Hell.
[لَا یَغُرَّنَّکَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا فِی الۡبِلَادِ]،[مَتَاعٌ قَلِیۡلٌ ثُمَّ مَاۡوٰىہُمۡ جَہَنَّمُ ؕ وَ بِئۡسَ الۡمِہَادُ]
O Prophet! Do not let the deceit of the disbelievers in the lands of the world deceive you. The enjoyment of this worldly life is very little; (after this) those people will go to Hell, which is the worst abode.
Reference: (Surah Al-Imran:196-196)
Explanation:
Remember, material progress along with faith is not blameworthy but desirable, whereas material progress with disbelief leads to punishment and torment.
For the people of faith, the wealth, riches, and luxuries of the disbelievers should by no means be enviable.
The wealth, riches, and grandeur of this world have been given by Allah Almighty to the disbelievers as a test.
[وَ لَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَیۡنَیۡکَ اِلٰی مَا مَتَّعۡنَا بِہٖۤ اَزۡوَاجًا مِّنۡہُمۡ زَہۡرَۃَ الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا ۙ لِنَفۡتِنَہُمۡ فِیۡہِ ؕ وَ رِزۡقُ رَبِّکَ خَیۡرٌ وَّ اَبۡقٰی]
O Muhammad! Do not even glance at the grandeur of this worldly life which We have given to various kinds of people among the disbelievers; We have given it to them only as a test. The provision given by your Lord (which is lawful) is better and everlasting.
Reference: (Surah Taha:131)
If there was no fear that Muslims would be led into disbelief by seeing the wealth and the glitter of gold and silver of the disbelievers, then Allah Almighty would have made the roofs, stairs, doors, and seats, etc., of the disbelievers' houses all of gold and silver.
[وَ لَوۡ لَاۤ اَنۡ یَّکُوۡنَ النَّاسُ اُمَّۃً وَّاحِدَۃً لَّجَعَلۡنَا لِمَنۡ یَّکۡفُرُ بِالرَّحۡمٰنِ لِبُیُوۡتِہِمۡ سُقُفًا مِّنۡ فِضَّۃٍ وَّ مَعَارِجَ عَلَیۡہَا یَظۡہَرُوۡنَ]،[وَ لِبُیُوۡتِہِمۡ اَبۡوَابًا وَّ سُرُرًا عَلَیۡہَا یَتَّکِـُٔوۡنَ]،[وَ زُخۡرُفًا ؕ وَ اِنۡ کُلُّ ذٰلِکَ لَمَّا مَتَاعُ الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا ؕ وَ الۡاٰخِرَۃُ عِنۡدَ رَبِّکَ لِلۡمُتَّقِیۡنَ]
And if it were not that all people would follow one way (disbelief), We would have made the roofs of those who disbelieve in the Most Merciful, and their stairs by which they ascend to their upper rooms, and their doors and their couches on which they recline, all of silver and gold. But all this is only the enjoyment of the worldly life, and the Hereafter with your Lord is for the righteous.
Reference: (Surah Az-Zukhruf:33-35)
Explanation:
The scientific progress and worldly grandeur of the disbelievers have impressed our religious and political leaders, who have subjected Muslims to great trials. The foundation of the fitnah of denying Hadith in the Indian subcontinent was laid by such individuals. Even today, Muslim rulers, impressed by the technology and material progress of the disbelievers, are the reason for the humiliation and degradation of the Muslim Ummah. To clarify the true reality of this material progress and worldly grandeur of the disbelievers, this chapter has been included in this section.
