Quran Universe
16:71

وَٱللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعۡضَكُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ فِي ٱلرِّزۡقِۚ فَمَا ٱلَّذِينَ فُضِّلُواْ بِرَآدِّي رِزۡقِهِمۡ عَلَىٰ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَهُمۡ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌۚ أَفَبِنِعۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِ يَجۡحَدُونَ

WaAllahu faddala baAAdakum AAala baAAdin fee alrrizqi fama allatheena fuddiloo biraddee rizqihim AAala ma malakat aymanuhum fahum feehi sawaon afabiniAAmati Allahi yajhadoona

And Allah has favored some of you over others in provision. But those who were favored would not hand over their provision to those whom their right hands possess so they would be equal to them therein. Then is it the favor of Allah they reject?

Word by word
  1. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  2. فَضَّلَhas favored
  3. بَعۡضَكُمۡsome of you
  4. عَلَىٰover
  5. بَعۡضٖothers
  6. فِيin
  7. ٱلرِّزۡقِۚ[the] provision
  8. فَمَاBut not
  9. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  10. فُضِّلُواْwere favored
  11. بِرَآدِّيwould hand over
  12. رِزۡقِهِمۡtheir provision
  13. عَلَىٰto
  14. مَاwhom
  15. مَلَكَتۡpossess
  16. أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡtheir right hands
  17. فَهُمۡso (that) they
  18. فِيهِ(are) in it
  19. سَوَآءٌۚequal
  20. أَفَبِنِعۡمَةِThen is it the Favor
  21. ٱللَّهِof Allah
  22. يَجۡحَدُونَthey reject
An-Nahl · 16:71Makkah

You would not share your wealth as equals. Yet you share Allah's?

An argument from your own pocket

Their own rule
the masterowns the wealth
will not share equally with
his servantowned by him
Turn the rule around
Allah's servant as His partnerwhat they claimed
He has no partnerthey would not accept it themselves

The idolaters' pilgrimage chant admitted their partners were owned by Allah, yet still called them partners. The verse uses their own life: you would never let your servant share your wealth equally, so why give Allah's servants a share in His divinity? Ibn Kathir also cites Umar writing that differences in provision are a test for both sides.

Your colleague earns more. Your cousin earns less. You might feel proud, or bitter, or both in the same week. The verse says the gap is not a ranking of worth. It is a test, handed out by the One who owns all of it.

What I have is mine, and what they lack is their problem.

Allah set the differences in provision. Each of us is tested by our share.

Try this

Thank Allah for one thing you have that someone close to you does not, then quietly help them with it.

Related30:28
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And Allah honored some of you over others with wealth and properties. Then, those who are so honored will by no means hand over their wealth and properties to those (captives of war) whom their right hands possess, so that they may be equal with them in that. Do they then deny the favor of Allah (71)

There is a Sign and a Blessing in Matters of People's Livelihood

Allah explains to the idolators the ignorance and disbelief involved in their claim that Allah has partners while also admitting that these partners are His servants. In their Talbiyah for Hajj, they used to say, "Here I am, there are no partners for You except Your own partner, You own him and everything he owns." Allah says, denouncing them: 'You would not accept for your servant to have an equal share in your wealth, so how is it that Allah would accept His servant to be His equal in divinity and glory? As Allah says elsewhere:

ضَرَبَ لَكُم مَّثَلًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ هَل لَّكُم مِّن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُم مِّن شُرَكَاءَ فِي مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ فَأَنتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَاءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ

(He sets forth a parable for you from yourselves: Do you have partners among those whom your right hands possess (i.e. your servant) to share as equals in the wealth We have granted you, those whom you fear as you fear each other?)(30:28)

Al-'Awfi reported that Ibn 'Abbas mentioned this Ayah, saying, "Allah is saying - 'If they did not want their servant to have a share with them in their wealth and wives, how can My servant have a share with Me in My power?' Thus Allah says:

أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ

(Do they then deny the favor of Allah?)" According to another report, Ibn 'Abbas said: "How can they accept for Me that which they do not accept for themselves?"

أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ

(Do they then deny the favor of Allah?) meaning, they assign to Allah a share of the tilth and cattle which He has created. They denied His blessings and associated others in worship with Him. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: "Umar bin Al-Khattab wrote this letter to Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari: 'Be content with your provision in this world, for the Most Merciful has honored some of His servants over others in terms of provision as a test of both. The one who has been given plenty is being tested to see if he will give thanks to Allah and fulfill the duties which are his by virtue of his wealth...'" It was reported by Ibn Abi Hatim.