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سُورَةُ المُؤۡمِنُونَ · 23:55
MeccanRevelation order ٧٤Juzʾ ١٨Page ٣٤٥

أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِۦ مِن مَّالٍۢ وَبَنِينَ

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Saheeh International · EN

Do they think that what We extend to them of wealth and children

Bio

Introduction

This is āyah 55 of Sūrat Al-Muminoon (The Believers), the 74th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Meccan period and sits within Juzʾ 18. Meccan verses tend to address faith, the oneness of God, and the hereafter.

This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.

Bio

Revelation & occasion

Asbāb al-Nuzūl
Period
Meccan
Order revealed
74 of 114
Surah
Al-Muminoon (23)
Occasion of revelation · Al-Wahidi

Do they think that We aid them with possessions and children only that We may hurry good things to them? Why do the chieftains who possess this world, nurture the soul, and worship creation, having placed the mantle of pride on their shoulders and become drunk with appetite, fancy that this world is a generous gift for them, or that possessions and children are a felicity for them. No, of course not! They are not aware that when the vanguard of the army of blessings arrives, it always seeks the threshold of the estranged. It brings along the banner of wretchedness and puts down the brand of estrangement. Again, when the vanguard of the army of tribulation arrives, it always seeks the corner of the dear ones and wanders around the house of the friends. For in shape tribulation [محنة] and love [محبة] are companions and equals, like each other and differentiated only by the dot above and below. Otherwise, they are not separate in shape and form. God gave the miserable Pharaoh four hundred years of the well-being and blessings of this world and did not constrict him in anything. But, if for one hour he had wanted the pain and burning of Moses, He would not have given it to him, for he was not worthy of that pain's beauty. And if we suppose that someone had asked Zachariah what he wanted when the saw was placed on the crown of his head, the cries of passion would have come forth from his parts and motes saying, “I want them to saw me forever!” A report says, “When someone loves Us, let him put on an armor for trial, for trial comes faster to Our lovers than a flood to its resting place.” As long as I live, I will bind my servanthood to Your cloak and put all my safety into the work of Your trials.

Commentary

Tafsir

4 works

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

O Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibat and do righteous deeds. Verily, I am Well-Acquainted with what you do (51)And verily, this your religion is one religion, and I am your Lord, so have Taqwa. (52)But they have broken their religion among them into sects, each group rejoicing in what is with it (53)So, leave them in their error for a time (54)Do they think that in wealth and children with which We prolong the (55)We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not (56) The Command to Eat Lawful Food and to Do Righteous Deeds Allah commands His servants and Messengers, peace be upon them all, to eat lawful food and do righteous deeds, which indicates that eating what is lawful helps one to do righteous deeds. The Prophets, peace be upon them, did this in the most perfect manner, and did all kinds of good deeds in words, actions, guidance and advice. May Allah reward them with…
Provenance

Chains of transmission

Oral — isnād

  1. ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation

    Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.

  2. 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation

    Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.

  3. TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation

    Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.

Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.

Written — the manuscript record

  1. ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation

    The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).

  2. 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation

    Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.

  3. Modern printModern printawaiting curation

    The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.

A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.

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Provenance

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