The reason for Allah’s specification of sons in His saying, the Exalted: (And He will increase you in wealth and sons)
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The reason for Allah’s specification of sons in His saying, the Exalted: (And He will increase you in wealth and sons)
In His saying, the Exalted, on the tongue of Noah (peace be upon him): [Noah: 10-12] .
His saying, the Exalted:[Nuh 71:12] In His saying: Does this blessing necessitate the righteousness of the offspring?
It is that Noah (peace be upon him) promised his people that if they sought forgiveness from Allah, He would send down upon them the sky in abundance, increase them in wealth and sons, make for them gardens, and make for them rivers. He specified sons here rather than daughters because what people generally take pride in is their sons, not their daughters, and when descendants come, they are attributed to the ancestors through the sons, not through the daughters.Therefore he said: And it does not follow from this that they must be disbelievers or believers; the important thing is that the apparent desire of their souls is wealth, sons, gardens, and the like. [Nuh 71:12] .
But here is a question:It is said: If a person intends by his work the reward of this world and the Hereafter, meaning that he does a righteous deed and seeks forgiveness from his Lord so that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will increase him in what Noah (peace be upon him) mentioned, while hoping for the reward of the Hereafter, does this diminish his reward?Answer: It does not diminish it; because if it did diminish the reward, Allah the Exalted would not have encouraged His servants to do so. But there is no doubt that these things encourage a person to advance in righteous work. And among this is the practical application of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who would give the spoils of a slain enemy to the one who killed him in the cause of Allah, meaning: if he killed a man from among the disbelievers, he would have his spoils, which are: what was on him of clothing, and the like. But there is no doubt that a person must prioritize the aspect of the Hereafter over the aspect of this world, and the aspect of this world is nothing but a mere incentive.
In His saying, the Exalted, on the tongue of Noah (peace be upon him):
(10) And said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. (11) He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers (12) And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.
فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّاراً * يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَاراً * وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ أَنْهَاراًHis saying, the Exalted:
And give you increase in wealth and children
وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَAnd sons
وَبَنِينَIt is that Noah (peace be upon him) promised his people that if they sought forgiveness from Allah, He would send down upon them the sky in abundance, increase them in wealth and sons, make for them gardens, and make for them rivers. He specified sons here rather than daughters because what people generally take pride in is their sons, not their daughters, and when descendants come, they are attributed to the ancestors through the sons, not through the daughters.Therefore he said:
And sons
وَبَنِينَand provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.
وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ أَنْهَاراًBut here is a question:It is said: If a person intends by his work the reward of this world and the Hereafter, meaning that he does a righteous deed and seeks forgiveness from his Lord so that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will increase him in what Noah (peace be upon him) mentioned, while hoping for the reward of the Hereafter, does this diminish his reward?Answer: It does not diminish it; because if it did diminish the reward, Allah the Exalted would not have encouraged His servants to do so. But there is no doubt that these things encourage a person to advance in righteous work. And among this is the practical application of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who would give the spoils of a slain enemy to the one who killed him in the cause of Allah, meaning: if he killed a man from among the disbelievers, he would have his spoils, which are: what was on him of clothing, and the like. But there is no doubt that a person must prioritize the aspect of the Hereafter over the aspect of this world, and the aspect of this world is nothing but a mere incentive.