بَلْ مَتَّعْنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَءَابَآءَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ طَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْعُمُرُ ۗ أَفَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّا نَأْتِى ٱلْأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَآ ۚ أَفَهُمُ ٱلْغَـٰلِبُونَ 44
Translations
But, [on the contrary], We have provided good things for these [disbelievers] and their fathers until life was prolonged for them. Then do they not see that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders? Is it they who will overcome?
Transliteration
Bal matta'nā hā'ulā'i wa-ābā'ahum hattā tāla 'alayhimu-l-'umur. Afalā yarawn annā na'tī-l-arda naqnusuhā min atārafihā. Afahum al-ghālibūn?
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah reminds the disbelievers that He has granted them and their ancestors prolonged worldly provisions, yet they remain heedless of the signs. The ayah then points to a tangible proof of Allah's power: the gradual diminishment of the earth from its borders (interpreted by scholars as territorial losses, natural disasters, or the encroachment of enemies), yet they arrogantly ask if they will be victorious. Ibn Kathir notes this serves as a warning that material prosperity does not guarantee safety from divine punishment, and that the decrease of the land is both a literal phenomenon and a metaphorical sign of impending doom for the heedless.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during the period when the Quraysh were prosperous yet rejecting the message. The broader context of Surah Al-Anbiyā is to highlight the fate of previous nations who were given blessings but rejected their prophets. This ayah addresses the false sense of security the Meccan disbelievers had due to their wealth and power, reminding them that such worldly comfort is temporary and does not shield them from accountability.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Wealth and children are adornments of worldly life, but everlasting good deeds are better' (Surah Al-Kahf 18:46, reinforcing the theme). Additionally, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet warned about being deceived by the extension of life and wealth, which relates directly to the ayah's mention of prolonged provision leading to heedlessness.
Themes
Key Lesson
Prolonged material prosperity and comfortable living should not breed complacency or arrogance; rather, they are tests from Allah that demand gratitude and righteous conduct. Believers must remain vigilant in recognizing the subtle signs of Allah's power in world events and not assume that worldly success guarantees ultimate victory or protection from divine consequences.