وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلْمَالَ حُبًّا جَمًّا 20
Translations
And you love wealth with immense love.
Transliteration
wa tuhibbūna al-māla hubban jammā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes the human tendency to love wealth excessively and intensely (jamman denotes excessive, intense love). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as a description of the human nature to accumulate and cherish wealth in abundance, often at the expense of spiritual obligations and charity. The ayah serves as a warning against allowing material desires to dominate one's priorities and distract from obedience to Allah and remembrance of the afterlife.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Fajr, which emphasizes themes of accountability, divine punishment for those who reject faith, and the trials faced by believers. The surah addresses the arrogance and materialism of those who accumulate wealth without gratitude or moral consciousness, serving as a reminder that worldly possessions are temporary and will not benefit on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'If the son of Adam had a valley full of gold, he would desire a second valley, and if he had two valleys, he would desire a third. Nothing fills the belly of the son of Adam except dust (death).' (Sahih Bukhari 6437). Additionally, the Prophet warned: 'The love of wealth and authority are the roots of evil.' (Tirmidhi)
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to maintain a balanced relationship with wealth—recognizing it as a test and trust from Allah rather than an end in itself. We should cultivate consciousness of our eventual death and the Day of Judgment to prevent wealth from becoming an idol that distracts us from our Creator and moral obligations to others.