The Meaning of His Saying (peace and blessings be upon him): “And reduce for him the worldly life,” and a discussion on the trial of the worldly life

The Shaykh : Then he continued and also made this supplication for this believer in Allah and His Messenger, saying to his Lord: .
I do not think that any one of you finds it difficult to understand such a supplication coming from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the believer; where he supplicated to his Lord to reduce for him the worldly life. I do not think anyone finds this difficult; because the worldly life is, without doubt, first a distraction, and then a trial. If the believer immerses himself in it, that becomes a calamity for him, and few are the ones who escape the trial of the worldly life and its allure and adornment. So it was very obvious that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would supplicate for the general body of believing people with such a supplication, to reduce for them the worldly life.
And this does not negate that he (peace be upon him) supplicates for individuals of the people with the opposite of what appears in this hadith; for it is known in the authentic narrations in al-Bukhari and others that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated for his servant Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah would bless him in his wealth and his children, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) answered the supplication of His Prophet in this until he died, and many people were born from him. I recall that he said once about himself, he said: “My daughter so-and-so told me.” Yes?

The questioner: Ummaymah.

The Shaykh: Ummaymah. That he had seventy children, possibly.

The questioner: One hundred and twenty-five children from the line of the leader of the pilgrims of Basra died from his lineage.

The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar! One hundred and fifty died from his lineage, twenty-five children?

The questioner: One hundred and twenty-five or twenty children, the leader of the pilgrims of Basra; meaning ... .

The Shaykh: This person is still alive, this huge number died from him; this is due to the Messenger’s (peace be upon him) supplication for him that Allah would bless him in his wealth, and in some narrations in al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhari that he (also) supplicated for him that Allah would lengthen his life. He actually lived a long time until he became old and aged. I say: that this supplication from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for his servant Anas, as you have heard, does not contradict this supplication which is in our lesson now; because there are rules, and for every rule there are exceptions; so does the supplication for the general people with what the Messenger (peace be upon him) supplicated here for the general people benefit the general people, or does the general people benefit from what he supplicated for his servant Anas ibn Malik?
Without doubt, the answer is the first matter; that is: those who escape the trial of the worldly life and its adornment are few, indeed fewer than few. , so those who are tested with this wealth and many children, few escape from them unharmed. And the opposite is correct; that is: those who are given a moderate amount of provision, these are mostly not tested with the trial of those who were given wealth and children. So it was very obvious, as I said first, that the Messenger (may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) would supplicate for those who believed in Allah and His Messenger to reduce for them (also) the worldly life.