Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 14

Mufti Taqi Usmani

It has been made attractive for people to love the desired things; that is, women, children, hoarded heaps of gold and silver, branded horses, cattle and tillage. That is an enjoyment of the worldly life; but with Allah lies the beauty of the final resort.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

The enjoyment of ˹worldly˺ desires—women, children,[[ Banîn means sons. In the ancient Arab culture, sons were a source of pride for their parents and tribes. This is because they provided for their families and took up arms in defence of their tribes.]] treasures of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle, and fertile land—has been made appealing to people. These are the pleasures of this worldly life, but with Allah is the finest destination.

Ruwwad Translation Center

The love of desirable things has been made appealing to people, such as women, children, hoarded heaps of gold and silver, branded fine horses, livestock, and tilled land. These are the pleasures of the life of this world, but with Allah is the best place of return.

A. J. Arberry

Decked out fair to men is the love of lusts -- women, children, heaped-up heaps of gold and silver, horses of mark, cattle and tillage. That is the enjoyment of the present life; but God -- with Him is the fairest resort.

Abdul Haleem

The love of desirable things is made alluring for men- women, children, gold and silver treasures piled up high, horses with fine markings, livestock, and farmland- these may be the joys of this life, but God has the best place to return to.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Fair-seeming is made unto men the love of pleasurable things from women and children and talents heaped-up of gold and silver and horses branded up and cattle and tilth. All that is the enjoyment of the life of the World, and Allah! with Him is the best resort.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet; Women and sons; Heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (for blood and excellence); and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world's life; but in nearness to Allah is the best of the goals (To return to).

Abul Ala Maududi

Men are naturally tempted by the lure of women, children, treasures of gold and silver, horses of mark, cattle and plantations. These are the enjoyments in the life of this world; but with Allah lies a goodly abode to return to.

Ahmed Ali

Enamoured are the people of the lust of (earthly) pleasures, of women and of children and hoarded heaps of gold and silver, well-bred horses, and tilled land and cattle, all (vain) goods and chattels of the life of this world, while the best of abodes is with God.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Beautified is for mankind the love of these desires – women, and sons, and heaps of gold and piled up silver, and branded horses, and cattle and fields; this is the wealth of the life of this world; and it is Allah, with Whom is the excellent abode.

Ali Quli Qarai

The love of [worldly] allures, including women and children, accumulated piles of gold and silver, horses of mark, livestock, and farms has been made to seem decorous to mankind. Those are the wares of the life of this world, but the goodness of one’s ultimate destination lies near Allah.

Ali Ünal

Made innately appealing to men are passionate love for women, children, (hoarded) treasures of gold and silver, branded horses, cattle, and plantations. Such are enjoyments of the present, worldly life; yet with God is the best of the goals to pursue.

Amatul Rahman Omar

It has been made fairseeming to the people the love of the desired things comprising women, sons, stored up heaps of gold and silver, well-bred horses, cattle and tilth. That is the provision of the present life. Whereas with Allâh is the fairest goal (of life).

English Literal

(It) was decorated/beautified to the people the lusts`/desires`/cravings` love/like from the women, and the sons and daughters , and the vaulted tons from the gold and the silver, and the identified/distinguished (from) the horses , and the camels/livestock , and the agricultural land/plants that (is) the present life`s/worldly life`s enjoyment and God, at Him good/beautiful (is) the return.

Faridul Haque

Beautified is for mankind the love of these desires - women, and sons, and heaps of gold and piled up silver, and branded horses, and cattle and fields; this is the wealth of the life of this world; and it is Allah, with Whom is the excellent abode.

Hamid S. Aziz

Beautiful unto men is the life of lust for women, and children, and heaps of hoarded gold and silver, and of horses well bred, and cattle, and well tilled land; these are the comforts for the life of this world; but Allah, with Him is the more excellent resort.

Hilali & Khan

Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return (Paradise with flowing rivers, etc.) with Him.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Indeed there was a sign for you in the two hosts (which) met together in encounter -- one party fighting in the way of Allah and the other disbelieving, whom they saw twice as many as themselves with the sight of the eye. And Allah strengthens with His aid whom He pleases. There is a lesson in this for those who have eyes.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

The love of desires, of women and sons and hoarded treasures of gold and silver and well bred horses and cattle and tilth, is made to seem fair to men; this is the provision of the life of this world; and Allah is He with Whom is the good goal (of life).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode.

Muhammad Sarwar

Worldly desires, wives, children, accumulated treasures of gold and silver, horses of noble breed, cattle, and farms are all made to seem attractive to men. All these are the bounties of the worldly life but in the life to come God has the best place for people to dwell.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Decorated for people are the desires of women, offspring, and of heaped up piles of gold and silver, of pedigree horses, cattle, and sown fields. These are the enjoyments of the worldly life, but with Allah is the best return.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, Qanatir Al-Muqantarah of gold and silver, branded beautiful horses (Musawwamah), cattle and fertile land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return with Him.

Wahiduddin Khan

The satisfaction of worldly desires through women, and children, and heaped-up treasures of gold and silver, and pedigreed horses, and cattle and lands is attractive to people. All this is the provision of the worldly life; but the most excellent abode is with God.

Talal Itani

Adorned for the people is the love of desires, such as women, and children, and piles upon piles of gold and silver, and branded horses, and livestock, and fields. These are the conveniences of the worldly life, but with God lies the finest resort.

Tafsir jalalayn

Beautified for mankind is love of lusts, that which the self lusts after and calls for, beautified by Satan, or by God as a test -- of women, children, stored-up heaps of gold and silver, horses of mark, fine [horses], cattle, namely, camels, cows and sheep, and tillage, the cultivation of land. That, which is mentioned, is the comfort of the life of this world, enjoyed while it lasts, but then perishes; but God -- with Him is the more excellent abode, place of return, which is Paradise, and for this reason one should desire none other than this [abode].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The True Value of This Earthly Life

Allah says;

زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاء وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالَانْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ

Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, Qanatir Al-Muqantarah of gold and silver, branded beautiful horses (Musawwamah), cattle and fertile land.

Allah mentions the delights that He put in this life for people, such as women and children, and He started with women, because the test with them is more tempting.

For instance, the Sahih recorded that the Messenger said,

مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدِي فِتْنَةً أَضَرَّ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النِّسَاء

I did not leave behind me a test more tempting to men than women.

When one enjoys women for the purpose of having children and preserving his chastity, then he is encouraged to do so.

There are many Hadiths that encourage getting married, such as,

وَإِنَّ خَيْرَ هذِهِ الاْإُمَّةِ مَنْ كَانَ أَكْثَرَهَا نِسَاء

Verily, the best members of this Ummah are those who have the most wives.

He also said,

الدُّنْيَا مَتَاعٌ وَخَيْرُ مَتَاعِهَا الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَة

This life is a delight, and the best of its delight is a righteous wife.

The Prophet said in another Hadith,

حُبِّبَ إِلَيَّ النِّسَاءُ وَالطِّيبُ وَجُعِلَتْ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَة

I was made to like women and perfume, and the comfort of my eye is the prayer.

Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said,

"Nothing was more beloved to the Messenger of Allah than women, except horses,"

and in another narration,

"...than horses except women."

The desire to have children is sometimes for the purpose of pride and boasting, and as such, is a temptation. When the purpose for having children is to reproduce and increase the Ummah of Muhammad with those who worship Allah alone without partners, then it is encouraged and praised.

A Hadith states,

تَزَوَّجُوا الْوَدُودَ الْوَلُودَ فَإِنِّي مُكَاثِرٌ بِكُمُ الاُْمَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة

Marry the Wadud (kind) and Walud (fertile) woman, for I will compare your numbers to the rest of the nations on the Day of Resurrection.

The desire of wealth sometimes results out of arrogance, and the desire to dominate the weak and control the poor, and this conduct is prohibited. Sometimes, the want for more money is for the purpose of spending it on acts of worship, being kind to the family, the relatives, and spending on various acts of righteousness and obedience; this behavior is praised and encouraged in the religion.

Scholars of Tafsir have conflicting opinions about the amount of the Qintar, all of which indicate that;

the Qintar is a large amount of money, as Ad-Dahhak and other scholars said.

Abu Hurayrah said

"The Qintar is twelve thousand Uwqiyah, each Uwqiyah is better than what is between the heavens and earth."

This was recorded by Ibn Jarir.

The desire to have horses can be one of three types.

Sometimes, owners of horses collect them to be used in the cause of Allah, and when warranted, they use their horses in battle. This type of owner shall be rewarded for this good action.

Another type collects horses to boast, and out of enmity to the people of Islam, and this type earns a burden for his behavior.

Another type collects horses to fulfill their needs and to collect their offspring, and they do not forget Allah's right due on their horses.

This is why in this case, these horses provide a shield of sufficiency for their owner, as evident by a Hadith that we will mention, Allah willing, when we explain Allah's statement,

وَأَعِدُّواْ لَهُمْ مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ

And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war. (8;60)

As for the Musawwamah horses, Ibn Abbas said that;

they are the branded, beautiful horses.

This is the same explanation of Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abdur-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Abza, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi bin Anas and Abu Sinan and others.

Makhul said,

the Musawwamah refers to the horse with a white spotted faced, and the horse with white feet.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah said,

لَيْسَ مِنْ فَرَسٍ عَرَبِيَ إِلاَّ يُوْذَنُ لَهُ مَعَ كُلِّ فَجْرٍ يَدْعُو بِدَعْوَتَيْنِ يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ خَوَّلْتَنِي مِنْ بَنِي ادَمَ فَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ أَحَبِّ مَالِهِ وَأَهْلِهِ إِلَيْهِ أَوْ أَحَبَّ أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ إِلَيْه

Every Arabian horse is allowed to have two supplications every dawn, and the horse supplicates, `O Allah! You made me subservient to the son of Adam. Therefore, make me among the dearest of his wealth and household to him, or,make me the dearest of his household and wealth to him.

Allah's statement,

وَالَانْعَامِ

Cattle,

means, camels, cows and sheep.
.
وَالْحَرْثِ

And fertile land,

meaning, the land that is used to farm and grow plants.

Allah then said,

ذَلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا

This is the pleasure of the present world's life,

meaning, these are the delights of this life and its short lived joys.

وَاللّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَأبِ



But Allah has the excellent return with Him.

meaning, the best destination and reward.
The Reward of the Those Who Have Taqwa is Better Than All Joys of This World

This is why Allah said