Living The Quran
From Issue: 586 [Read full issue]
Divine Laws
Nuh (Noah) Sura 71: Verse 21
Noah said: "My Lord! They have disobeyed me and followed those whose wealth and children have increased them only in loss and self-ruin."
There is no direct link between faith and worship and God's allocation of provision in the form of income or children. The granting of wealth and children is quite different from His opening the door of His blessings as a result of one's repentance and asking for forgiveness. Besides His laws in the form of the Religion, God also has laws of life. Prosperity in both worlds requires obedience to both of these laws. Obedience to the former (the Religion) adds to the success which comes as a result of obedience to the latter (Divine laws of life). So if believers obey the latter in addition to sincere adherence to the Religion, they always and inevitably prevail over unbelievers.
In any case, we should always bear in mind that whatever blessing we are given, it is a means of testing us and requires certain things, such as thanking God, spending wealth on religiously lawful things and in God's cause, for the needy, and for educating our children so that they can be good servants of God.
Compiled From:
"The Quran: Annotated Interpretation in Modern English" - Ali Unal, p. 1176