| 11. ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ |
| Allazeena taghaw fil bilaad |
| [All of] whom oppressed within the lands |
| 12. فَأَكۡثَرُواْ فِيهَا ٱلۡفَسَادَ |
| Fa aksaroo feehal fasaad |
| And increased therein the corruption. |
| 13. فَصَبَّ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّكَ سَوۡطَ عَذَابٍ |
| Fasabba ‘alaihim Rabbuka sawta ‘azaab |
| So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment. |
| 14. إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِٱلۡمِرۡصَادِ |
| Inna Rabbaka labil mirsaad |
| Indeed, your Lord is in observation. |
| 15. فَأَمَّا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكۡرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَكۡرَمَنِ |
| Fa ammal insaanu izaa mab talaahu Rabbuhoo fa akramahoo wa na’ ‘amahoo fa yaqoolu Rabbeee akraman |
| And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, “My Lord has honored me.” |
| 16. وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَهَٰنَنِ |
| Wa ammaaa izaa mabtalaahu faqadara ‘alaihi rizqahoo fa yaqoolu Rabbeee ahaanan |
| But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, “My Lord has humiliated me.” |
| 17. كَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا تُكۡرِمُونَ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ |
| Kalla bal laa tukrimooo nal yateem |
| No! But you do not honor the orphan |
| 18. وَلَا تَحَـٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ |
| Wa laa tahaaaddoona ‘alaata’aamil miskeen |
| And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor. |
| 19. وَتَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكۡلٗا لَّمّٗاۥ |
| Wa taakuloonat turaasa aklal lammaa |
| And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether, |
| 20. وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡمَالَ حُبّٗا جَمّٗاۥ |
| Wa tuhibboonal maala hubban jammaa |
| And you love wealth with immense love. |
الَّذِينَ طَغَوْا فِي الْبِلَادِ – فَأَكْثَرُوا فِيهَا الْفَسَادَ
(Who did transgress beyond bounds in the lands. And made therein much mischief.)
meaning, they rebelled, were arrogant, and went about making corruption in the land, and harming the people.
فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ
(So, your Lord poured on them different kinds of severe torment.)
meaning, He sent down a torment upon them from the sky and caused them to be overcome by a punishment that could not be repelled from the people who were criminals.
The Lord is Ever Watchful
Concerning Allah’s statement,
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ
(Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful.)
Ibn ‘Abbas said, “He hears and He sees.” This means that He watches over His creation in that which they do, and He will reward them in this life and in the Hereafter based upon what each of them strove for. He will bring all of the creation before Him and He will judge them with justice. He will requit each of them with that which he deserves, for He is far removed from injustice and tyranny.
Wealth and Poverty are both a Test and Honor or Disgrace for the Servant
Allah refutes man in his belief that if Allah gives Him abundant provisions to test him with it, it is out of His honor for him. But this is not the case, rather it is a trial and a test, as Allah says,
أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُمْ بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ – نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِى الْخَيْرَتِ بَل لاَّ 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) Likewise, from another angle, if Allah tests him and tries him by curtailing his sustenance, he believes that is because Allah is humiliating him. As Allah says,
كَلاَّ
(But no!) meaning, the matter is not as he claims, neither in this nor in that. For indeed Allah gives wealth to those whom He loves as well as those whom He does not love. Likewise, He withholds sustenance from those whom He loves and those whom He does not love. The point is that Allah should be obeyed in either circumstance. If one is wealthy, he should thank Allah for that, and if he is poor, he should exercise patience.
From the Evil that the Servant does regarding Wealth
Allah said,
بَل لاَّ تُكْرِمُونَ الْيَتِيمَ-
(But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity!) This contains the command to honor him (the orphan). Abu Dawud recorded from Sahl bin Sa`id that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«أَنَا وَكَافِلُ الْيَتِيمِ كَهَاتَيْنِ فِي الْجَنَّة»
(The guardian of the orphan and I will be like these two in Paradise.) And he put his two fingers together – the middle finger and the index finger.
وَلاَ تَحَاضُّونَ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ-
(And urge not one another on the feeding of the Miskin!) meaning, they do not command that the poor and the needy be treated with kindness, nor do they encourage each other to do so.
وَتَأْكُلُونَ التُّرَاثَ
(And you devour the Turath) meaning, the inheritance.
أَكْلاً لَّمّاً
(devouring with greed.) meaning, however they can get it, whether lawful or forbidden.
وَتُحِبُّونَ الْمَالَ حُبّاً جَمّاً
(And you love wealth with love Jamma.) meaning, in abundance. This increases some of them in their wickedness.