Quran Universe
9:85

وَلَا تُعۡجِبۡكَ أَمۡوَٰلُهُمۡ وَأَوۡلَٰدُهُمۡۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَتَزۡهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ كَٰفِرُونَ

Wala tuAAjibka amwaluhum waawladuhum innama yureedu Allahu an yuAAaththibahum biha fee alddunya watazhaqa anfusuhum wahum kafiroona

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

Word by word
  1. وَلَاAnd (let) not
  2. تُعۡجِبۡكَimpress you
  3. أَمۡوَٰلُهُمۡtheir wealth
  4. وَأَوۡلَٰدُهُمۡۚand their children
  5. إِنَّمَاOnly
  6. يُرِيدُAllah intends
  7. ٱللَّهُAllah intends
  8. أَنto
  9. يُعَذِّبَهُمpunish them
  10. بِهَاwith it
  11. فِيin
  12. ٱلدُّنۡيَاthe world
  13. وَتَزۡهَقَand will depart
  14. أَنفُسُهُمۡtheir souls
  15. وَهُمۡwhile they
  16. كَٰفِرُونَ(are) disbelievers
At-Tawbah · 9:85Madinah

Do not be dazzled by their wealth and children.

When blessings turn into a burden

What looks impressive
wealthlooks like success
childrenlook like blessing
can become
a burdenin this world
How to read it
they have moreso they are favored
it can be a trialnot a sign of favor

This repeats an earlier verse of the same surah, as Ibn Kathir notes briefly. The setting is the same: the hypocrites around Madinah had wealth and sons, and it would be easy to admire them. The verse says those very things could become their punishment.

The cousin with the big wedding photos. The colleague whose kids are in every highlight reel. You feel small next to them. The verse says what you see on the outside tells you nothing about what it costs inside.

People with more must be more blessed than me.

Having more is not proof of being loved more by Allah.

Try this

When you feel envy today, say Alhamdulillah for one specific thing you have.

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

And let not their wealth or their children amaze you. Allah only wants to punish them with these things in this world, and that their souls shall depart (die) while they are disbelievers.) We mentioned before the explanation of a similar Ayah, all the thanks and praises are due to Alla (85)