Surah Maryam Tafseer

Refuting the Disbelievers Who claim that They will be given Wealth and Children in the Hereafter

Imam Ahmad reported from Khabbab bin Al-Aratt that he said,

"I was a blacksmith and `As bin Wa'il owed me a debt. So I went to him to collect my debt from him. He said to me, `No, by Allah, I will not pay my debt to you until you disbelieve in Muhammad.'

I replied to him, `No, by Allah, I will not disbelieve in Muhammad until you die and are resurrected again.'

He then said to me, `Verily, if I die and am resurrected, and you come to me, I will also have abundance of wealth and children and I will repay you then.'

Then, Allah revealed these Ayat,

أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ بِأيَاتِنَا وَقَالَ لَاُوتَيَنَّ مَالاً وَوَلَدًا

Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our Ayat and said:"I shall certainly be given wealth and children." until,

وَيَأْتِينَا فَرْدًا

(and he shall come to Us alone. Ayah 80).

This was also recorded by the two compilers of the Sahihs and other collections as well.

In the wording of Al-Bukhari it states that Khabbab said,

"I used to be a blacksmith in Makkah and I made a sword for `As bin Wa'il. So I went to him to collect my pay from him..."

then he mentioned the rest of the Hadith and he said,

أَمِ اتَّخَذَ عِندَ الرَّحْمَنِ عَهْدًا

(or has he taken a covenant from the Most Gracious),

"This means an agreement. "

Concerning Allah's statement,

لَاأُوتَيَنَّ مَالاًأ وَوَلَدًا

I shall certainly be given wealth and children.

Meaning, on the Day of Resurrection.

In other words, "Does he know what he will have in the Hereafter, to such an extent that he can swear to it!