Amongst all temporal blessings, wealth and progeny are indeed very great favours, including, of course, the State Power, and the health etc. However, taking these as indications of Allah^-SWT’s Pleasure is utter ignorance for these are also enjoyed by the polytheists and the non believers. Allah^-SWT distributes these provisions at His^-SWT discretion and He^-SWT Alone is Aware of the depths of His^-SWT Wisdom. The real indication of His^-SWT Pleasure is that one is blessed with a firm belief in Him^-SWT and the capacity to do good. Such souls shall certainly be rewarded manifold and will be seated in lofty mansions in peace, without any fears or apprehensions. Those who chose to remain misguided and also exerted to hinder the cause of Islam will be taken to task by Him^-SWT .

As for the provisions, the disbursement is solely Allah^-SWT’s prerogative. He^-SWT may endow more or less at His^-SWT discretion. This rule applies even to the favoured and the pious believers.

The Pious Can Be Rich As Well As Poor

The preceding Ayah lays down a general rule that Allah^-SWT endows poverty or affluence by His^-SWT Own Will as a trial. However, by using the word ‘Ibadehee’ (His bondsmen) here. He^-SWT highlights the fact that there could be affluent as well as impoverished amongst the believers. This negates the contemporary misconception that a good Muslim must live in poverty. There have been some very rich Companions^-RAU like Hadhrat ^‘Usman^-RAU who led the affluent. Later when the believers acquired the spoils of war, the Companions^-RAU, like Hadhrat ‘Ali^-RAU, Hussain^-RAU, and Hassan^-RAU became rich too, which indeed was a Divine reward. In fact once a person is blessed with faith, wealth and power at the same time and spends it in Allah^-SWT’s Cause, he is further blessed in this very world, qualifying besides for the coveted forgiveness in the Akhirah. However, the money and power spent in ungodly pursuits will accrue no reward.

Allah^-SWT Increases Provisions Commensurate To Demand

This also lays down the rule that the more the consumption of a thing increases in the world the more it will be produced by Allah^-SWT . Similarly, as the need for a thing decreases, it becomes sparse. This can be witnessed in the daily life. For instance, if a limb of the body is not put to work it will eventually become non functional, and when put to work, it gains strength. Or cats and dogs and the like species reproduce in large numbers, while the cows, sheep and goats beget lesser off spring. Yet the latter are always found in plenty while the former are far less in number.

The polytheists will surely find out the truth on the Day when the entire mankind will be gathered simultaneously. Their denial shall certainly serve them right when they will be questioned face to face with the angels and the human beings that they worshipped, just as the Prophets^-AS will be asked whether the people had worshipped them in the world. The angels will plead ^“O Allah^-SWT ! Glorified are You^-SWT , far Exalted and Pure beyond any of their ungodly precepts. Our lives were spent in Your^-SWT obedience, worship, company and reliance. These wretched souls were never associated with us; rather they worshipped Satan.” In fact if anyone worships the Prophets^-AS, the nobles or the angels, it was not something they consented to nor was it something they had recommended. This is the work of Satan, so the worshipper indeed worships him. There are, however, some people who worship both Jinn and the Satan, some by practically obeying them while others by indulging in heresy and polytheism in their incantations etc, with the false hope to gain some mundane benefits.

Jinn And Satans Have No Control Over Gain Or Loss

On the Day of Judgment it will be made known to the Jinn, the Satans and their followers that none of them could be of any avail or harm to one another. This is clarified here because people often indulge in sorcery and such evil activities in the hope of acquiring some temporal gain. It has also been witnessed that the Jinn do cause harm and tease people. But the fact remains that even if people manage to avail some worldly benefit through the Jinn they are still losers as this will lead to punishment in the Akhirah. While any harm caused by a Jinn or another person in the path of Allah^-SWT will certainly not be a loss, but a source of eternal rewards and salvation. It is a matter clearly spelled out and also substantiated by the sayings of the Holy Prophet^-SW. However, the infidels do not seem to have trust, which of course they will have on the Day of Judgment. They will also believe in Hell as all the infidels, Jinn and Satan or their worshippers will be commanded to taste the punishment of Fire, and to enter therein as consequence of refuting it throughout their lives.

When Invited To Truth, The Rulers Are Overwhelmed By Power-Hunger

When the Divine Revelations and His^-SWT Commands are conveyed to them, the unfortunate lot does not bother to ponder over. Rather the fear of losing their authority overpowers them. If they were to accept the truth it will thwart their status because they practise ungodly rituals on their own accord. So they assert that the Holy Prophet^-SW aims at diverting them from their ancestral traditions and religion to his^-SW own, in order to rule over them. They insist that whatever he^-SW says is void of truth and is concocted by him^-SW. And when the facts impossible to refute both logically and traditionally, are revealed and the miracles are manifested they simply label them as magic. They fail to realise that never before had anyone been blessed with such a Book and such a Prophet^-SW. And although the preceding Prophets^-AS and Divine Books too were great Divine favours, yet revelation of the Quran and raising of the Holy Prophet^-SW are indeed the greatest events which they should have duly appreciated. They should have taken pride in serving him^-SW. Instead, they chose to deny without taking a look at the evil fate met by the preceding nations who had refuted their Prophets^-AS. They do not even possess a fraction of power as compared to that enjoyed by those nations. The Holy Prophet^-SW excels all Prophets^-AS raised before, the consequences of his^-SW denial may well, therefore, be imagined.