What is the meaning of Allah’s saying (Exalted is He): “Indeed, your wealth and your children are a trial”?
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Question : Allah’s saying [Al-Anfal 8:28] and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated for Anas, saying, “O Allah, bless him,” yet he had much wealth and many children. Some people use this verse as evidence to limit their offspring, meaning they restrict themselves to three or four.
Answer : Is that clear? The verse does not indicate this. It indicates that a person is tested with his wealth and his children, so either he fulfills what is obligatory for him regarding them, or he neglects them, as He (Mighty and Majestic) said:[Al-Anbya 21:35]. The meaning is not that wealth and children are a trial in the sense of evil; no, it is a test. Do you understand? Good.
your properties and your children are but a trial
أَنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌAnswer : Is that clear? The verse does not indicate this. It indicates that a person is tested with his wealth and his children, so either he fulfills what is obligatory for him regarding them, or he neglects them, as He (Mighty and Majestic) said:
And We test you with evil and with good as trial
وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 89 - 332 ما معنى قوله تعالى (إنما أموالكم وأولادكم فتنة)؟ الفتاوى الثلاثية - ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.