Surah Ar-Ra’d >> Currently viewing Surah Ar-Ra’d Ayat 26 (13:26)

Surah Ar-Ra’d Ayat 26 in Arabic Text

ٱللَّهُ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقۡدِرُۚ وَفَرِحُواْ بِٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ إِلَّا مَتَٰعٞ
Allaahu yabsutur rizqa limai yashaaa’u wa yaqdir; wa farihoo bilhayaatid dunyaa wa mal hayaatud dunya fil Aakhirati illaa mataa’ (section 3)

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 26

Sahih International
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.

Yusuf Ali
Allah doth enlarge, or grant by (strict) measure, the sustenance (which He giveth) to whomso He pleaseth. (The wordly) rejoice in the life of this world: But the life of this world is but little comfort in the Hereafter.

Abul Ala Maududi
Allah grants the provision to whomsoever He wills abundantly and grants others in strict measure. They exult in the life of the world, although compared with the Hereafter, the life of the world is no more than temporary enjoyment.

Muhsin Khan
Allah increases the provision for whom He wills, and straitens (it for whom He wills), and they rejoice in the life of the world, whereas the life of this world as compared with the Hereafter is but a brief passing enjoyment.

Pickthall
Allah enlargeth livelihood for whom He will, and straiteneth (it for whom He will); and they rejoice in the life of the world, whereas the life of the world is but brief comfort as compared with the Hereafter.

Dr. Ghali
Allah outspreads the provision for whomever He decides and determines (it); and they exult with (the present) life; (Literally: the lowly “life”, i.e., the life of this world) and in no way is the present life, beside the Hereafter, (anything) except a (passing) enjoyment (Literally: belongings).

Abdel Haleem
God gives abundantly to whoever He will, and sparingly to whoever He will- and though they may revel in the life of this world, it is but a fleeting comfort compared with the Life to come.

Muhammad Junagarhi
اللہ تعالیٰ جس کی روزی چاہتا ہے بڑھاتا ہے اور گھٹاتا ہے یہ تو دنیا کی زندگی میں مست ہو گئے۔ حاﻻنکہ دنیا آخرت کے مقابلے میں نہایت (حقیر) پونجی ہے

Quran 13 Verse 26 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Ar-Ra’d ayat 26, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(13:26) Allah grants the provision to whomsoever He wills abundantly and grants others in strict measure.[42] They exult in the life of the world, although compared with the Hereafter, the life of the world is no more than temporary enjoyment.


42. This verse refutes the wrong criterion by which the disbelievers of Makkah (and all other disobedient people of the world) judged whether one was or was not a favorite of God. They judged a man’s worth by his wealth and worldly prosperity and not by his faith and righteous conduct. They thought that the one who was enjoying all the good things of life was a favorite of God, even if he had erroneous beliefs and did wicked deeds. On the other hand, they considered the one who was poor and indigent to be under the wrath of God, even though he was righteous. That is why in their judgment the chiefs of the Quraish were far superior to the followers of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They would say, “You can see for yourselves that God is with the chiefs of the Quraish.

In this verse, Allah has warned them that they are absolutely wrong in drawing such a conclusion from the worldly conditions of the people. Allah gives His provision to the people abundantly or sparingly for reasons different from those which they presumed and richness or poverty is no criterion by which to judge the worth of people. The real criterion of judging the worth of people is their beliefs and deeds. The one, who has righteous beliefs and does good deeds, shall be higher in rank than the one who has wrong beliefs and does evil deeds. Thus the real criterion is the quality of his deeds and not the possession or the lack of wealth.

Ibn-Kathir

26. Allah increases the provision for whom He wills, and straitens (it for whom He wills), and they rejoice in the life of the world, whereas the life of this world compared to the Hereafter is but a brief passing enjoyment.


Increase and Decrease in Provision is in Allah’s Hand

Allah states that He alone increases the provisions for whom He wills and decreases it for whom He wills, according to His wisdom and perfect justice. So, when the disbelievers rejoice with the life of the present world that was given to them, they do not know that they are being tested and tried. Allah said in other Ayat,

﴿أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُمْ بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ – نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِى الْخَيْرَتِ بَل لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ ﴾

(Do they think that in wealth and children with which We enlarge them. We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not.)﴿23:55-56﴾ Allah belittled the life of the present world in comparison to what He has prepared for His believing servants in the Hereafter,

﴿وَمَا الْحَيَوةُ الدُّنْيَا فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ إِلاَّ مَتَـعٌ﴾

(whereas the life of this world compared to the Hereafter is but a brief passing enjoyment.) Allah said in other Ayat,

﴿قُلْ مَتَـعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنِ اتَّقَى وَلاَ تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلاً﴾

(Say: “Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is (far) better for him who has Taqwa, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly even equal to the amount of a Fatila.)﴿4:77﴾ and,

﴿بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا – وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى ﴾

(Nay, you prefer the life of this world, although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.)﴿87:16-17﴾ Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Mustawrid, from Bani Fihr, said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«مَا الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا كَمَا يَجْعَلُ أَحَدُكُمْ إصْبَعَهُ هَذِهِ فِي الْيَمِّ، فَلْيَنْظُرْ بِمَ تَرْجِع»

(The life of the present world, compared to the Hereafter, is just like when one of you inserts his finger in the sea, so let him contemplate how much of it will it carry.) and he pointed with the index finger. Imam Muslim also collected this Hadith in his Sahih. In another Hadith, the Prophet passed by a dead sheep, whose ears were small, and said,

«وَاللهِ لَلدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ عَلَى اللهِ مِنْ هَذَا عَلَى أَهْلِهِ حِينَ أَلْقَوه»

(By Allah! The life of this present world is as insignificant to Allah as this sheep was to its owners when they threw it away).

﴿وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْلاَ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى إِلَيْهِ مَنْ أَنَابَ – الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ – الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ طُوبَى لَهُمْ وَحُسْنُ مَـَابٍ ﴾

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