أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَالْبٰقِيٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا
Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. [QS. Al-Kahf: Verse 46]
This is so true. The more wealth we have the more distraction it can cause. Because more wealth brings more desires unless we assigned a portion to give before we get the wealth. Isn't it true that we filled up our houses with so much due to our excess wealth. Isn't it true that we desire for more clothes, bigger houses, latest gadgets and latest of everything.
While Allah said to spend the surplus when people asked what to spend
وَيَسْئَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنْفِقُون
َ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ ۗ كَذٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْءَايٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
And they ask you what they should spend. Say, "The excess [beyond needs]." Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought. [QS. Al-Baqara: Verse 219]
But what do we do? We hoard the wealth. We use the wealth to fill our surroundings with beauty and then we spend rest of our time to maintain that beauty. It is true that wealth brings beauty but a reminder for us the lasting good deeds are better in terms of reward and hopes. Wealth gives us hopes too. Because human thinks that if he/she has saved so much, he/she has secured his/her future and future of his kids. But who knows a disaster comes in form of illness, hurricane, earthquake, terror attack and all the wealth is lost.
But lasting good deeds secure the future of kids as well as we learn from following:
وَأَمَّا الْجِدَار فَكَانَ لِغُلٰمَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُ ۥ كَنْزٌ لَّهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صٰلِحًا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَنْ يَبْلُغَآ أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنْزَهُمَا رَحْمَةً مِّنْ رَّبِّكَ ۚ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ ۥ عَنْ أَمْرِى ۚ ذٰلِكَ تَأْوِيلُ مَا لَمْ تَسْطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا
And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience." [QS. Al-Kahf: Verse 82]
Now let's consider children. Children are off course beauty of this world. Don't you see a baby and feel like smiling. Even if a child is old he is still a beauty. Along with that children are mentioned as trial in Quran.
Surah Al-Anfal, Verse 28:
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيم
ٌ And know that your property and your children are a temptation, and that Allah is He with Whom there is a mighty reward.
Surah At-Taghabun, Verse 15:
إِنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
Your possessions and your children are only a trial, and Allah it is with Whom is a great reward.
Why are children a trial? Because they also distract us as mentioned in Surah Al-Munafiqoon, Verse 9:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُم
ُ الْخَاسِرُون
َ O you who believe! let not your wealth, or your children, divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, these are the losers.
Now the last part of the ayah I chose says that lasting good deeds are better in terms of reward and hope. I already commented on how wealth gives us hope. Now consider children. Whether we know it consciously or unconciously, we hope from our children as well especially from sons. If that is not the case then majority wouldn't pity the family who has just daughters. But Allah said lasting good deeds are better in terms of rewards and hope. So what are
lasting good deeds?
From tafseer ibn kathir:
Deeds that last are the five daily prayers.
The Commander of the faithful, `Uthman bin `Affan was questioned, "Which are the good righteous deeds that last'' He replied,
"They are: `La ilaha illallah لا إله الاالله, Subhan Allah سبحان الله, Al-Hamdu Lillah الحمد لله, Allahu Akbar الله اكبر and La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah hil-`Aliyil-`Azim (there is no strength and no power except with Allah the Exalted, the Almighty) لا حول ولا قوة الا بالله.'''
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "This is the celebration of the remembrance of Allah, saying `La ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar, Subhan Allah, Al-Hamdu Lillah, Tabarak Allah, La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, Astaghfirallah, Sallallahu `ala Rasul-Allah', and fasting, prayer, Hajj, Sadaqah (charity), freeing slaves, striving in the way of Allah, maintaining ties of kinship, and all other good deeds. These are the righteous good deeds that last, which will remain in Paradise for those who do them for as long as heaven and earth remain.''
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