At-Tawbah: 55

Ayah

Word by Word

فَلَا

So (let) not

تُعۡجِبۡكَ

impress you

أَمۡوَٰلُهُمۡ

their wealth

وَلَآ

and not

أَوۡلَٰدُهُمۡۚ

their children

إِنَّمَا

Only

يُرِيدُ

Allah intends

ٱللَّهُ

Allah intends

لِيُعَذِّبَهُم

to punish them

بِهَا

with it

فِي

ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ

the life

ٱلدُّنۡيَا

(of) the world

وَتَزۡهَقَ

and should depart

أَنفُسُهُمۡ

their souls

وَهُمۡ

while they

كَٰفِرُونَ

(are) disbelievers

Translation

Let not their wealth nor their (following in) sons dazzle thee: in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in this life, and that their souls may perish in their (very) denial of Allah.

Tafsir

"Allah emphasizes the enmity that the hypocrites have for the Prophet

Allah tells;

إِن تُصِبۡكَ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُوۡهُمۡ

If good befalls you, it grieves them,

If a blessing, such as victory and triumph over the enemies, is given to the Prophet, thus pleasing him and his Companions, it grieves the hypocrites,

وَإِن تُصِبۡكَ مُصِيبَةٌ يَقُولُواۡ قَدۡ أَخَذۡنَا أَمۡرَنَا مِن قَبۡلُ

but if a calamity overtakes you, they say:""We took our precaution beforehand,

they say, we took precautions when we did not join him,

وَيَتَوَلَّواۡ وَّهُمۡ فَرِحُونَ

and they turn away rejoicing.

Allah directed His Prophet to reply to the perfect enmity they have towards him

قُل

Say, (to them),

لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلاَّ مَا كَتَبَ اللّهُ لَنَا

Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us.

for we are under His control and decree,

هُوَ مَوۡلَانَا

He is our Mawla,

Master and protector,

وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ الۡمُوۡمِنُونَ

And in Allah let the believers put their trust.

and we trust in Him. Verily, He is sufficient for us and what an excellent guardian

Allah said,

قُلۡ

Say, (O Muhammad to them),

هَلۡ تَرَبَّصُونَ بِنَا

Do you wait for us, (anything),

إِلاَّ إِحۡدَى الۡحُسۡنَيَيۡنِ

except one of the two best things,

According to the meaning given by Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, and others.

martyrdom or victory over you,

وَنَحۡنُ نَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمۡ

while we await for you,

that this will touch you,

أَن يُصِيبَكُمُ اللّهُ بِعَذَابٍ مِّنۡ عِندِهِ أَوۡ بِأَيۡدِينَا

either that Allah will afflict you with a punishment from Himself or at our hands,

either capture or killing,

فَتَرَبَّصُواۡ إِنَّا مَعَكُم مُّتَرَبِّصُونَ

So wait, we too are waiting with you.

Allah said next

قُلۡ أَنفِقُواۡ طَوۡعًا أَوۡ كَرۡهًا

Say:Spend willingly or unwillingly,

for whatever you spend either way,

لَّن يُتَقَبَّلَ مِنكُمۡ إِنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ قَوۡمًا فَاسِقِينَ

it will not be accepted from you. Verily, you are ever a people who are rebellious.

Allah says

وَمَا مَنَعَهُمۡ أَن تُقۡبَلَ مِنۡهُمۡ نَفَقَاتُهُمۡ

And nothing prevents their contributions from being accepted from them,

Allah mentions the reason behind not accepting their charity from them,

إِلاَّ أَنَّهُمۡ كَفَرُواۡ بِاللّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِ

except that they disbelieved in Allah and in His Messenger.

and the deeds are accepted if they are preceded with faith,

وَلَا يَأۡتُونَ الصَّلَةَ إِلاَّ وَهُمۡ كُسَالَى

and that they came not to the Salah except in a lazy state.

Therefore, they neither have good intention nor eagerness to perform the acts (of faith),

وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ إِلاَّ وَهُمۡ كَارِهُونَ

and that they offer not contributions but unwillingly.

The Truthful, to whom the Truth was revealed, Muhammad, peace be upon him, said that;

Allah does not stop giving rewards until you (believers) stop performing good deeds, and that Allah is Tayyib (Good and Pure) and only accepts what is Tayyib. This is why Allah does not accept charity or good deeds from the people described in these Ayat, because He only accepts it from those who have Taqwa

Allah says to His Messenger,

فَلَ تُعۡجِبۡكَ أَمۡوَالُهُمۡ وَلَا أَوۡلَادُهُمۡ

So let not their wealth nor their children amaze you...

In similar Ayat, Allah said,

وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيۡنَيۡكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعۡنَا بِهِ أَزۡوَجاً مِّنۡهُمۡ زَهۡرَةَ الۡحَيَوةِ الدُّنۡيَا لِنَفۡتِنَهُمۡ فِيهِ وَرِزۡقُ رَبِّكَ خَيۡرٌ وَأَبۡقَى

And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to various groups of them, the splendor of the life of this world, that We may test them thereby. But the provision (good reward in the Hereafter) of your Lord is better and more lasting. (20:131)

and,

أَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُمۡ بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ

نُسَارِعُ لَهُمۡ فِى الۡخَيۡرَتِ بَل لاَّ يَشۡعُرُونَ

Do they think that in wealth and children with which We enlarge them. We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not. (23:55-56)

Allah said next,

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي الۡحَيَاةِ الدُّنۡيَا

in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world,

According to the meaning given by Al-Hasan Al-Basri.

by taking the Zakah due on their money from them and spending it in Allah's cause,

Allah's statement,

وَتَزۡهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ كَافِرُونَ

and that their souls shall depart while they are disbelievers.

means, so that when Allah brings death to them, they will still be disbelievers, to make matters worse for them and the torment more severe.

We seek refuge from such an end, which includes being led astray gradually by these things which they have."