Quran Universe
10:88

وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ ءَاتَيۡتَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَلَأَهُۥ زِينَةٗ وَأَمۡوَٰلٗا فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِكَۖ رَبَّنَا ٱطۡمِسۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ وَٱشۡدُدۡ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ فَلَا يُؤۡمِنُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُاْ ٱلۡعَذَابَ ٱلۡأَلِيمَ

Waqala moosa rabbana innaka atayta firAAawna wamalaahu zeenatan waamwalan fee alhayati alddunya rabbana liyudilloo AAan sabeelika rabbana itmis AAala amwalihim waoshdud AAala quloobihim fala yuminoo hatta yarawoo alAAathaba alaleema

And Moses said, "Our Lord, indeed You have given Pharaoh and his establishment splendor and wealth in the worldly life, our Lord, that they may lead [men] astray from Your way. Our Lord, obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts so that they will not believe until they see the painful punishment."

Word by word
  1. وَقَالَAnd Musa said
  2. مُوسَىٰAnd Musa said
  3. رَبَّنَآOur Lord
  4. إِنَّكَIndeed,You
  5. ءَاتَيۡتَhave given
  6. فِرۡعَوۡنَFiraun
  7. وَمَلَأَهُۥand his chiefs
  8. زِينَةٗsplendor
  9. وَأَمۡوَٰلٗاand wealth
  10. فِيin
  11. ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِthe life
  12. ٱلدُّنۡيَا(of) the world
  13. رَبَّنَاOur Lord
  14. لِيُضِلُّواْThat they may lead astray
  15. عَنfrom
  16. سَبِيلِكَۖYour way
  17. رَبَّنَاOur Lord
  18. ٱطۡمِسۡDestroy
  19. عَلَىٰٓ[on]
  20. أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡtheir wealth
  21. وَٱشۡدُدۡand harden
  22. عَلَىٰ[on]
  23. قُلُوبِهِمۡtheir hearts
  24. فَلَاso (that) not
  25. يُؤۡمِنُواْthey believe
  26. حَتَّىٰuntil
  27. يَرَوُاْthey see
  28. ٱلۡعَذَابَthe punishment
  29. ٱلۡأَلِيمَthe painful
Yunus · 10:88Makkah

Wealth and splendor were used to lead people astray.

Musa's dua when there was no good left in them

What Musa saw
splendor and wealthgiven to Firaun
used to
mislead peoplefrom Your way
so he asked
destroy their wealthseal their hearts
What wealth means
a sign of His loverich means favoured
a testit can draw one away

Ibn Kathir says Musa prayed this when he was certain there was no good in them, angry for the sake of Allah. One reading explains their wealth as a test: those misguided would think it was given because Allah loved them.

A rich, famous person lives openly against Allah, and the comments say: look how blessed they are. Wealth is not proof of Allah's pleasure. It can be a test, for them and for the one watching.

If someone is rich and successful, Allah must be pleased with them.

Wealth can be a test, not a sign of His love.

Try this

When you envy someone's riches today, say: may Allah bless them, and give me what is good for me.

Related20:13171:26
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And Musa said: "Our Lord! You have indeed bestowed on Fir'awn and his chiefs splendor and wealth in the life of this world, our Lord! That they may lead men astray from Your path. Our Lord! Destroy their wealth, and harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment. (88)Allah said: "Verily, the invocation of you both is accepted. So you both keep to the straight way, and follow not the path of those who know not. (89)

Musa supplicated against Fir'awn and His Chiefs

Allah mentioned what Musa said when he prayed against Fir'awn and his chiefs after they refused to accept the truth. They continued to go astray and be haughty and arrogant. Musa said:

رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ آتَيْتَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَأَهُ زِينَةً

(Our Lord! You have indeed bestowed on Fir'awn and his chiefs splendor) and pleasure of this worldly life.

وَأَمْوَالًا

(and wealth) plentiful and abundant. Allah's statement,

فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّوا عَن سَبِيلِكَ

(in the life of this world, Our Lord! That they may lead men astray from Your path.) was read with the word "Liyadillu" and "Liyudillu." The first is with a Fathah over the Ya, meaning that "You have given them that while You know they would not believe in what You have sent me with to them. You did that so they would gradually be drawn away from the truth." As Allah said:

لِّنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ

(that We may test them thereby.)(20:131) and (72:17). Others read the word with a Dammah over the Ya. (i.e. Liyudillu) This makes the Ayah mean: You have given them that so whoever You willed from among Your creatures will be tried. Those whom You wish to misguide would think that You have given them that because You loved them and You cared about them."

رَبَّنَا اطْمِسْ عَلَىٰ أَمْوَالِهِمْ

("Our Lord! Destroy their wealth,") Ibn 'Abbas and Mujahid said: "They asked Allah to destroy their wealth." Ad-Dahhak, Abu Al-'Aliyah and Ar-Rabi'a bin Anas said: "Allah made their wealth into engraved stones as it was before." About Allah's statement,

وَاشْدُدْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ

(and harden their hearts) Ibn 'Abbas said, "Harden their hearts means put a seal on them."

فَلَا يُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ

(so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment.) This prayer was from Musa because he was angry for the sake of Allah and His religion. He prayed against Fir'awn and his chiefs when he was certain that there was no good in them. Similarly, Nuh prayed and said:

رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا - إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوا إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا

(My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers on the earth! If You leave them, they will mislead Your servants, and they will beget none but wicked disbelievers.)(71:26-27) Harun said "Amin" to his brother's prayer. And Allah answered Musa's prayer. Allah said:

قَدْ أُجِيبَت دَّعْوَتُكُمَا

(Verily, the invocation of you both is accepted.) 'in destroying Fir'awn's people.

قَدْ أُجِيبَت دَّعْوَتُكُمَا فَاسْتَقِيمَا

(Verily I have answered your prayers (both of you). So you both keep to the straight way) So as I have answered your prayer, you should remain steadfast on My command.' Ibn Jurayj narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said about this Ayah: "Be steadfast and follow My command."