Quran Universe
9:55

فَلَا تُعۡجِبۡكَ أَمۡوَٰلُهُمۡ وَلَآ أَوۡلَٰدُهُمۡۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَتَزۡهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ كَٰفِرُونَ

Fala tuAAjibka amwaluhum wala awladuhum innama yureedu Allahu liyuAAaththibahum biha fee alhayati alddunya watazhaqa anfusuhum wahum kafiroona

So let not their wealth or their children impress you. Allah only intends to punish them through them in worldly life and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers.

Word by word
  1. فَلَاSo (let) not
  2. تُعۡجِبۡكَimpress you
  3. أَمۡوَٰلُهُمۡtheir wealth
  4. وَلَآand not
  5. أَوۡلَٰدُهُمۡۚtheir children
  6. إِنَّمَاOnly
  7. يُرِيدُAllah intends
  8. ٱللَّهُAllah intends
  9. لِيُعَذِّبَهُمto punish them
  10. بِهَاwith it
  11. فِيin
  12. ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِthe life
  13. ٱلدُّنۡيَا(of) the world
  14. وَتَزۡهَقَand should depart
  15. أَنفُسُهُمۡtheir souls
  16. وَهُمۡwhile they
  17. كَٰفِرُونَ(are) disbelievers
At-Tawbah · 9:55Madinah

Do not be dazzled by their money and their children.

What looks like blessing can be a burden

What it looked like
wealthlooks like favor
childrenlooks like success
but really
a test and burdenleading them on
How to read someone's plenty
Allah must love them
plenty can be a testand so can mine

The Prophet ﷺ was told not to be impressed by the hypocrites' wealth and sons. Ibn Kathir links it to "do not strain your eyes toward the splendor We gave them to test them." He warns of being led on gradually by what one has, and seeks refuge from such an end.

Scrolling through someone's holiday photos, new car, picture-perfect family, and feeling your own life shrink. What you see is not the whole story, and it is not the measure of anyone's standing with Allah. Including yours.

People with more money and a big family must be blessed by Allah.

Wealth and children can be a test. What matters is where they lead.

Try this

Unfollow or mute one account that makes you envious, for a week.

Related20:13123:55
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

So let not their wealth nor their children amaze you; in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world, and that their souls shall depart (die) while they are disbelievers (55)

Allah says to His Messenger ﷺ,

فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ

(So let not their wealth nor their children amaze you...)

In similar Ayat, Allah said,

وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَىٰ مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِّنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ ۚ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ

(And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to various groups of them, the splendor of the life of this world, that We may test them thereby. But the provision (good reward in the Hereafter) of your Lord is better and more lasting)[20:131], and,

أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ - نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ ۚ بَل لَّا 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 said next,

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا

(in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world,) by taking the Zakah due on their money from them and spending it in Allah's cause, according to the meaning given by Al-Hasan Al-Basri. Allah's statement,

وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ

(and that their souls shall depart while they are disbelievers) means, so that when Allah brings death to them, they will still be disbelievers, to make matters worse for them and the torment more severe. We seek refuge from such an end, which includes being led astray gradually by these things which they have.