ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًۭا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًۭا
Wealth and children are the embellishment of the worldly life, and the everlasting virtues are better with your Lord, both in rewards and in creating good hopes. [18:46]
The Quran was revealed to change our mindsets
Allah’s revelation is intended to change our mindsets and make us understand a new reality. Some of our old habits might be compatible with Islam, but many of them might not be, so the Quran helps us to establish a new standard for what is good.
The Quraysh used to regard having wealth and children as the ultimate success. Communities in those days lived in continuous wars with each other, so having a big tribe was important, as well as lots of money. Allah wanted to shift their attention to striving for something greater.
Wealth and children are beautiful, but they will not last. Wealth will vanish, and you and your children will eventually die. The only thing that will last are good deeds.
What are the everlasting virtues?
The ayah uses the words baqiyat as-salihat, everlasting righteous deeds. There is a hadith where Prophet Muhammad ﷺ uses this phrase to refer to saying subhanallah, alhamdulillah, la ilaha ill-allah, allahu akbar, and la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
“Increase in ‘righteous deeds everlasting,’”. It was said, “What are they, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet said, “To declare the greatness of Allah, the oneness of Allah, the glory of Allah, the praise of Allah, and that there is no movement or might but in Allah.” [Ibn Hibban]
However, scholars including Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) have commented that it can means any accepted good deeds. There are two conditions for good deeds to be accepted: ikhlas, and being compliant with prophetic teachings.
The importance of sincerity
You might be very sincere, but be doing something that is not in line with the sunnah. On the other hand, you might be doing a good action but have no sincerity, and be doing it only for the attention or to make money. This may get you success in the dunya, but in the akhirah it will crumble into dust.
If you want your deeds to be on your scale on the Day of Judgement, you need to have sincerity, and preferably do them in secret if possible. If that is not possible, then you can do them in public, but make sure you have full control over your intention, as Shaytan is the master of manipulation and your intention can flip in an instant. Make sure you are doing things wanting only the acceptance of Allah.
Although the dunya itself is worth nothing, it can benefit you if you use it as a vehicle to the akhirah, following the example of people like Uthman bin Affan and Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with them).
Let’s shift our focus not to be on dunya issues, but to use the dunya for the akhirah. We ask Allah to purify our intentions and make our actions accepted. Ameen.
What truly lasts
By Samia Ahmed
On the 14th of Ramadan, Shaykh Haytham took us to a verse in Surah al-Kahf that reset what should be our main concerns.
Allah says:
“Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better in hope.” (Surah al-Kahf 18:46)
Allah does not deny the attraction of wealth and children. They are adornment. They beautify life. They bring comfort, pride, continuity. In every generation, they have been measures of success. In our time, the language may have shifted to status, financial flow, influence and visibility, but the attachment remains the same.
Adornment decorates.
Adornment attracts.
Adornment does not last.
Then Allah mentions al-baqiyat as-salihat, the enduring good deeds.
Everything else will fade.
Everything else will diminish.
Everything else will be left behind.
Allah says:
“Whatever you have will end, but what Allah has is lasting.” (Surah an-Nahl 16:96)
Here lies the real test.
We say we believe in Allah. We say we believe in the Hereafter. But do we truly believe what Allah is telling us. Are we structuring our lives around permanence, or are we absorbed in what sparkles now.
Are we chasing glitter and glamour.
Or are we laying foundations for a permanent abode.
The enduring good deeds are not about size alone. They are about sincerity and alignment. Every deed, whether large or small, must be done purely for Allah and in accordance with the Sunnah.
The Prophet ﷺ said,
“Actions are only by intentions, and every person will have only what he intended.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Intention is the core.
We may look back at good deeds we have performed and wonder, was my intention sound. Was there ego mixed in. Was there desire for recognition. We cannot rewrite the past. All we can do is ask Allah for acceptance.
Acceptance is a gift.
The righteous would worry not about the quantity of deeds, but about whether they were accepted. Allah says:
“Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous.” (Surah al-Ma’idah 5:27)
So we ask. We humble ourselves. We say, O Allah, accept from us.
And then we take control of what we can.
Our future intention.
Before we perform a deed, we pause. We purify. We remind ourselves that this is for Allah alone. This is discipline. This is awareness.
The dunya is described by the Prophet ﷺ as sweet and green, and Allah will see how we act in it, narrated in Sahih Muslim. It is designed to attract. But attraction is not permanence.
Allah warns:
“The mutual rivalry for piling up worldly things diverts you, until you visit the graves.” (Surah at-Takathur 102:1 to 2)
Diversion is the danger.
Good deeds, however small, ripple beyond the grave. The Prophet ﷺ said,
“When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.” (Muslim)
Notice again what remains.
Not titles.
Not possessions.
Not applause.
Deeds.
So what should the intellectual believer do.
Invest in what lasts.
Guard the intention.
Align action with guidance.
Wealth and children are adornment, but adornment is not the objective. They are part of the test.
The objective is the pleasure of Allah. The permanence of the akhirah. The weight of al-baqiyat as-salihat on the scale.
If we truly believe Allah’s words, then our priorities must reflect that belief.
Are we building outward decoration.
Or inward elevation.
Because one day the adornment will fall away.
And only what was done sincerely for Allah will remain.
May Allah purify our past deeds and accept them.
May He allow us to take control of our intentions before every good action.
May He make us people whose deeds endure long after we are gone.
Ameen.