The entire universe belongs to God, and He gives what He wills to whom He wills. It is God who grants provision to men, who makes them rich and gives them abundant crops. As God states in a verse, God expands the provision of any of His servants as He wills or, in a similar manner, restricts them. He does this for a certain cause and out of wisdom. Both those whose provision is expanded and whose provision is restricted, are in fact put to the test by God. Those who do not become arrogant and spoilt because of what they are given, but render thanks to God for everything endowed, who put their trust in God and show steadfastness when their possession is restricted are the servants with whom God is pleased. The words of the Prophet Solomon cited in the Qur'an make clear that the blessings God endows to people are actually a part of the test:
He who possessed knowledge of the Book said, 'I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.' And when he saw it standing firmly in his presence, he said, 'This is part of my Lord's favour to test me to see if I will give thanks or show ingratitude. Whoever gives thanks only does so to his own gain. Whoever is ungrateful, my Lord is Rich Beyond Need, Generous.'
The words of the Prophet Solomon's stating "This is part of my Lord's favour to test me to see if I will give thanks or show ingratitude" explain one of the reasons why people are given gifts.
What God defines as the "attractions of this world" in the Qur'an – including wealth, children, spouses, relatives, status, prestige, intelligence, beauty, health, profitable commerce, success, in brief, everything is given to put man to test.
Secrets in the abundance given to disbelievers
Many are the people in the world who, despite having no faith in God, rejoice in a long life, enjoy countless blessings, possess fruitful lands and raise healthy children. These people, instead of seeking to earn the good pleasure of God, have degenerated because of these blessings and drifted apart from God. These people, who have gone great lengths in leading a rebellious life towards our Lord and who have committed more and more sins every day, consider what they possess as good for themselves. However, the Qur'an draws our attention to another secret and divine purpose behind these blessings and the time granted:
Do not let their wealth and their children impress you. God merely wants to punish them by them in the life of this world, and for them to die while they are disbelievers.
Those who disbelieve should not imagine that the extra time We grant to them is good for them. We only allow them more time so they will increase in evildoing. They will have a humiliating punishment.
So leave them in their glut of ignorance for a while. Do they imagine that, in the wealth and children We extend to them, We are hastening to them with good things? No indeed, but they have no awareness!
As explained in the verses, what these people possess is actually not good for them. The time granted to them is only to add to their sins. When their term is over, neither their wealth, nor their children nor their status can save them from the painful punishment. Indeed, God has related the situation of the past generations who lived in wealth and abundance of provision, yet met a painful punishment as follows:
How many generations We have destroyed before them who had finer furnishings and a better outward show!
The following verse explains the reason why these people are granted extra time: Say:
'As for those who are astray, let the all Merciful prolong their term until they see what they were promised, whether it be the punishment or the Hour. Then they will know who is in the worse position and has the weaker troops.'
God is Just and Most Merciful. He creates everything with wisdom and goodness, and everyone is repaid in full for what he does. Being aware of this, believers assess events with the aim of seeing the wisdom and goodness that God creates in every event. Otherwise, people would live a life of deception, far removed from realities.
