Tafseer of The Thunder · Ar-Ra'd · 13:26
Allah extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. And they rejoice in the worldly life, while the worldly life is not, compared to the Hereafter, except [brief] enjoyment.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: Allah expands for whom He wills of His creatures their provision (rizq), and broadens it for him, because among them are those whose condition is set right only by that = وَيَقْدِرُ ("and He restricts"), He says: and He straitens the provision and the livelihood for whom He wills of them, and narrows it for him, because his condition is set right only by restriction = وَفَرِحُوا بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ("and they rejoice in the worldly life"), the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: and these for whom the provision in this world was expanded rejoiced — in their disbelief (kufr) toward Allah and their disobedience to Him — over that which He expanded for them therein, while they remained ignorant of what is with Allah for the people of His obedience and faith (īmān) in Him, in the Hereafter, of honor and felicity.
Then He informed, exalted be His praise, of its slight worth in this world in comparison with what is with Him for the people of faith in Him in the Hereafter, and He made known to His servants its smallness, and said: وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا فِي الآخِرَةِ إِلا مَتَاعٌ ("and the worldly life, compared with the Hereafter, is but an enjoyment"), He says: and all that was given to these in this world of prosperity, and what was expanded for them therein of provision and pleasant livelihood, is — compared with what is with Allah for the people of His obedience in the Hereafter — إِلا مَتَاعٌ ("but an enjoyment"), slight, an insignificant and perishable thing. As:
20353 — Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, he said: Šabāba related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: إِلا مَتَاعٌ ("but an enjoyment"), he said: slight and perishable.
20354 — Al-Muṯannā related to me, he said: Abū Ḥuḏayfa related to us, he said: Šibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid =
20355 — Al-Muṯannā related to me, he said: and Isḥāq related to us, he said: ʿAbd Allāh related to us, on the authority of Warqāʾ, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا فِي الآخِرَةِ إِلا مَتَاعٌ ("and the worldly life, compared with the Hereafter, is but an enjoyment"), he said: slight and perishable.
20356 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmaš, on the authority of Bukayr ibn al-Aḫnas, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Sābiṭ, concerning His word: وَفَرِحُوا بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا فِي الآخِرَةِ إِلا مَتَاعٌ ("and they rejoice in the worldly life, while the worldly life, compared with the Hereafter, is but an enjoyment"), he said: it is like the provisions of the shepherd which his family gives him to take along: the handful of dates, or the little bit of flour, or the something on which he drinks the milk.
