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Al-malu wal-banuna zinatu al-hayati ad-dunya

المال والبنون زينة الحياة الدنيا

Surah Al-Kahf (18), verse 461 verse

Al-malu wal-banuna zinatu al-hayati ad-dunya is found in the Quran: Surah Al-Kahf (18), verse 46. Read the Arabic text with its translation and explanation, and listen to it verse by verse.

ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْبَٰقِيَٰتُ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ۝٤٦

46. Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord792 for reward and better for [one's] hope.

Notes

[792] i.e., in His sight or evaluation.

Listen to verse 46 of Surah Al-Kahf

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Tafsir of verse 46

Al-Mukhtasar

Wealth and children are things of adornment in this worldly life. Wealth will only be of benefit in the afterlife if it is spent on that which pleases Allah. Actions and statements that are pleasing to Allah are better in reward than all the beauty in the world. That is the best thing a person can have hope in, because the beauty of the world will perish while the reward for actions and statements that are pleasing to Allah will last.

Tafsir of the whole Surah Al-Kahf

Other translations of verse 46

Wealth and children are the adornments of the life of this world, but the lasting righteous deeds are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope.

Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous deeds,3 that last, are better with your Lord for rewards and better in respect of hope.

Notes

[3] (V.18:46): good righteous deeds:- five compulsory prayers, deeds of Allâh’s obedience, good and nice talk, remembrance of Allâh with glorification, praises and thanks.

Wealth and children are an ornament of the life of the world. But the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord's sight for reward, and better in respect of hope.

Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: But the things that endure, good deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes.

Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world; and the ever-abiding, the good works, are better with your Lord in reward and better in expectation.

Wealth and sons are the adornment of the present life; and the enduring deeds of righteousness are more charitable in the Providence of your Lord for requital, and more charitable in aspiration.

Verse 46 word by word

  1. ٱلْمَالُ al-mālu The wealth م و ل
  2. وَٱلْبَنُونَ wal-banūna and children ب ن ي
  3. زِينَةُ zīnatu (are) adornment ز ي ن
  4. ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ l-ḥayati (of) the life ح ي ي
  5. ٱلدُّنْيَا l-dun'yā (of) the world د ن و
  6. وَٱلْبَٰقِيَٰتُ wal-bāqiyātu But the enduring ب ق ي
  7. ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتُ l-ṣāliḥātu good deeds ص ل ح
  8. خَيْرٌ khayrun (are) better خ ي ر
  9. عِندَ ʿinda near ع ن د
  10. رَبِّكَ rabbika your Lord ر ب ب
  11. ثَوَابًا thawāban (for) reward ث و ب
  12. وَخَيْرٌ wakhayrun and better خ ي ر
  13. أَمَلًا amalan (for) hope أ م ل

Verses related to verse 46

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Yunus 10:24

    إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْأَنْعَٰمُ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَٱزَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ أَنَّهُمْ قَٰدِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ أَتَىٰهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَٰهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِٱلْأَمْسِ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

    The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - [those] from which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought.

  • Az-Zumar 39:21

    أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَسَلَكَهُۥ يَنَٰبِيعَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرْعًا مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُۥ حُطَٰمًا إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ

    Do you not see that Allāh sends down rain from the sky and makes it flow as springs [and rivers] in the earth; then He produces thereby crops of varying colors; then they dry and you see them turned yellow; then He makes them [scattered] debris. Indeed in that is a reminder for those of understanding.

  • Al-Hadid 57:20

    ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَٰدِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ ٱلْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَٰمًا وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ

    Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allāh and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.

  • Ali ’Imran 3:14

    زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱلْقَنَٰطِيرِ ٱلْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ وَٱلْحَرْثِ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسْنُ ٱلْمَـَٔابِ

    Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allāh has with Him the best return [i.e., Paradise].

  • At-Taghabun 64:15

    إِنَّمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَٰدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

    Your wealth and your children are but a trial, and Allāh has with Him a great reward.

Verses with similar wording

They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.

  • Maryam 19:76

    وَيَزِيدُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱهْتَدَوْا۟ هُدًى وَٱلْبَٰقِيَٰتُ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ مَّرَدًّا

    And Allāh increases those who were guided, in guidance, and the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for recourse.

All similar verses of Surah Al-Kahf

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