“As provision for you and your grazing livestock.”
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As a provision for you and your grazing livestock for a time
First he created life, then created the conditions that sustain life. The word متاع
contains the meaning of temporariness inside its root. It means something enjoyable that lasts for a specific interval.32 Allah is criticizing people who get lost in this world. Imagine a father sends his child to college in a distant town where the child will live in a hostel, but the father will manage the expenses. In his expenses, the father gives him some extra money with which the child can enjoy himself as well, subject to obvious restrictions. Imagine if the child neglects his studies, misuses that money, and wastes it all on entertainment. The father sent the child to the college for a purpose, to study, and gave him some extra money so he can enjoy himself as well because humans not only need it, but it will actually help the child in better focusing on studies. The child forgot his main purpose of studying, and made entertainment his entire goal. Same is the case in this ayah. Allah sent you on earth with a purpose, and provided you things with which you can enjoy yourself as well but people get lost in enjoyment and entertainment, and neglect their main purpose.
This is the root of all sins on earth, the chase of pleasure. If sins felt horrendous, nobody would do them. They feel good, that is why people do them. Pharaoh sinned and oppressed people because that sensation of power and might felt good. They chase pleasures, and make them their goal of life, and neglect their true purpose. The earth is itching to exact revenge on people for this, for their sins, for their blind chasing of pleasures, but Allah is holding it back just like He did with Pharaoh. But…
As a provision for you and your grazing livestock for a time
First he created life, then created the conditions that sustain life. The word متاع
contains the meaning of temporariness inside its root. It means something enjoyable that lasts for a specific interval.32 Allah is criticizing people who get lost in this world. Imagine a father sends his child to college in a distant town where the child will live in a hostel, but the father will manage the expenses. In his expenses, the father gives him some extra money with which the child can enjoy himself as well, subject to obvious restrictions. Imagine if the child neglects his studies, misuses that money, and wastes it all on entertainment. The father sent the child to the college for a purpose, to study, and gave him some extra money so he can enjoy himself as well because humans not only need it, but it will actually help the child in better focusing on studies. The child forgot his main purpose of studying, and made entertainment his entire goal. Same is the case in this ayah. Allah sent you on earth with a purpose, and provided you things with which you can enjoy yourself as well but people get lost in enjoyment and entertainment, and neglect their main purpose.
This is the root of all sins on earth, the chase of pleasure. If sins felt horrendous, nobody would do them. They feel good, that is why people do them. Pharaoh sinned and oppressed people because that sensation of power and might felt good. They chase pleasures, and make them their goal of life, and neglect their true purpose. The earth is itching to exact revenge on people for this, for their sins, for their blind chasing of pleasures, but Allah is holding it back just like He did with Pharaoh. But…
32 Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 4, p. 2024