المالُ وَالبَنونَ زينَةُ الحَياةِ الدُّنيا ۖ وَالباقِياتُ الصّالِحاتُ خَيرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوابًا وَخَيرٌ أَمَلًا

Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of the world, but lasting righteous deeds are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope.

EXEGESIS

Zīnah (adornment) is that which is beautiful, in a way that makes one attracted to it and makes one desire to attain or possess it, or otherwise come close to it.^{‎[1]Mizan, 13/240.}

Bāqiyāt (lasting) comes from baqāʾ meaning to remain and last. It is in the feminine plural, and is an adjective that describes an elided word which is understood from the context. It actually refers to al-aʿmāl al-bāqiyāt – the deeds that remain.

Ṣāliḥāt (righteous) is from ṣalāḥ meaning good or positive, the opposite of fasād (corrupt, evil).^{‎[2]Raghib, p. 489.} Ṣāliḥāt is the feminine plural of ṣāliḥ and is an adjective describing bāqiyāt.

EXPOSITION

Previously, we were told how everything in the world passes away quickly. By mentioning the examples of wealth and children we should now realise that they too are things that pass away quickly.^{‎[3]Razi, 21/467.}

Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of the world: although in verse 7 we read that everything in this world is an adornment, here two things are mentioned as an example, probably because these two things are the two most commonly desired after things. Or perhaps it is because both are related in people’s minds to the concepts of continuity and remaining. Wealth is thought of as ensuring preservation of self, whilst progeny is for preservation of lineage.^{‎[4]Alusi, 8/271.}

It is said that wealth is mentioned prior to children because it is the one that is generally more needed, and the one who does not have children can manage, but the one who has no wealth cannot. Even worse off is the one who has children but no wealth to look after them.^{‎[5]Alusi, 8/271.} Still, the one with wealth and no children would as a rule also feel empty and unfulfilled, with no heir to inherit his empire. He too would naturally desire offspring as well. The truth is that neither of them will last though, or benefit a person in the hereafter.

Both are described as adornment. From verse 7 of this surah we learned that the adornments are placed in this world in order to test us. They are meant to assess if a person will get distracted by them and forget his true purpose, Know that your possessions and children are only a test (8:28).

By being told that these are adornments we are also reminded that a person’s value is not measured by such superficial things.^{‎[6]Tantawi, 8/527.}

But lasting righteous deeds are better with your Lord in reward: since the preceding discussion centred around the ephemerality of this world and all things within it, we are now reminded about that which is lasting. It is not given to the same impermanence, because it has found connection to He who is the everlasting.

Righteous deeds are the actions done in obedience to God with pure intentions. These are lasting because their reward is eternal. This is far superior to the temporary and short-lived pleasures of this world.^{‎[7]Tibyan, 7/52.} While the scholars have mentioned some specific examples, the meaning of it is general and hence it entails any act of obedience. This is because any action done for the sake of the world, or for the sake of other than God, is by its definition impermanent. Only that which is connected to His everlasting reality may be lasting.^{‎[8]Razi, 21/468.}

It should be noted that with your Lord is inserted between the construct better … reward^{‎[9]Instead of saying ‘lasting righteous deeds are with your Lord a better reward’.} as if to remind that even though good deeds may have benefits in this world as well, that is not their true purpose or value, rather their true value is realised with your Lord.

Abū Bakr ibn al-ʿArabī asserts that actions in and of themselves do not have the quality of permanence (baqāʾ). However, since actions are a means for recompense, either reward or punishment, they find permanence. He says in this sense good and evil actions are both bāqiyāt, or lasting, as their recompense is lasting.^{‎[10]Ahkam, 3/1241.} It is true that the action is temporal, but its effect is lasting. However, the qualification of righteous deeds as being lasting may perhaps be an allusion to the fact that the punishment for evil actions may not be permanent for all wrongdoers, either through forgiveness and repentance which may undo the evil outcome of those actions, or intercession which may bring one out of hell. Nevertheless, the apparent meaning of lasting righteous deeds should not be misconstrued and it emphasises that unlike worldly pursuits, the pursuit of service to God leads to a permanent reward.

And better in hope: a person may place their hope in different things, but often these do not result in what he hoped for. However, the act of obedience to God is not relying on a false hope, as it will undoubtedly result in the hoped-for reward.^{‎[11]Tabrisi, 6/731.}

Wealth and children are often considered by many to be the security of their old age, thinking that they can later rely on these for their winter years. In this sense, God is reminding that the one who is truly interested in securing his future should seek lasting righteous deeds.

We may also compare this to the similar verse in Sūrat Maryam: Allah enhances in guidance those who are [rightly] guided, and lasting righteous deeds are better with your Lord in reward, and better at the return (19:76), in which they are described as providing a better return to God since the beginning of the verse speaks of guidance and finding the path to Him; whilst in this surah hope is brought up due to the reasons we mentioned.

The word better (khayr) is repeated for emphasis, but may be also to preserve the rhyme with verse 44.

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

There are many reports that mention different instances of what are lasting righteous deeds:

1. From Ḍurays al-Kunāsī, from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a), that Prophet Muhammad (s) passed by a man planting a plant in his yard when he stopped and said: ‘Should I not instruct you about something that is more firmly rooted, ripens faster, gives nicer fruit, and is more lasting?’ The man said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of God.’ He said: ‘When you wake up and go to sleep, say: subḥān allāh, wa al-ḥamdu li-llāh, wa lā ilāha illa-llāh wa allāhu akbar (glory be to God, praise be to God, there is no god but God, and God is the greatest). You will have for every invocation trees in paradise with varying fruits. Those are the lasting righteous deeds.’^{‎[12]Mahasin, 1/37; Amali.S, p. 270. A similar hadith may be found in Kafi, 2/506. This same report is also transmitted from Anas ibn Mālik, from the Prophet.}
2. From Abū Baṣīr, from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a), that Prophet Muhammad (s) said: ‘Take up your shields.’ To which the people replied: ‘Is an enemy closing in?’ He said: ‘Take up your shields against the fire. Say: subḥān allāh, wa al-ḥamdu li-llāh, wa lā ilāha illa-llāh wa allāhu akbar, because they will come on the Day of Resurrection while they will have harbingers [from the angels] and those who see them off, and those who save and those who protect; and they are the lasting righteous deeds.’^{‎[13]Ayyashi, 2/327; Tabrisi, 6/731; Thalabi, 6/174.}

Note: 1. There are many other narrations that describe these four invocations as the lasting righteous deeds.^{‎[14]See for example Ahmad, 3/75, 4/267; Mustadrak.S, 1/512; Haythami, 5/247, 7/166, 10/87-93; Thalabi, 6/173.} As has been pointed out, these narrations are not limiting the lasting righteous deeds to this, but rather that they are an outstanding example of it. 2. Ghazālī has pondered on these four invocations saying that it has been reported that the one who says the first will have a tenfold reward, for the second a twentyfold reward, thirtyfold for the next, and fortyfold for the fourth. He says this is because the highest reward is reserved for the one who gains close understanding of God (maʿrifah). When one says ‘glory be to God’ they have elevated Him above the unbecoming qualities, which is a great step in understanding Him. Saying after that ‘praise be to God’ is to affirm the attributes that are becoming of Him and that He is the source of all virtues and good things. By doing this, a person has come another step closer and should be deserving of double the reward. When he then follows that by saying ‘there is no god but God’ he affirms that there can be only one like that which he previously described. This is the third step in understanding God and is worthy of triple the reward. Finally, when he declares ‘God is the greatest’ he realises that God is far greater than him being able to comprehend and encompass Him with his reason. This fourth stage of understanding God warrants a quadruple reward.^{‎[15]Razi, 21/468.}

3. From Imam al-Ṣādiq (a), that God said to Prophet Moses (a): ‘Remember Me abundantly during the night and day. Be fearful when you remember Me, be patient when I test you, and find tranquillity in My remembrance. Worship Me and do not associate anyone with Me. The path is towards me. O Moses! Make Me your bastion, and place in My care your treasure of the lasting righteous deeds.’^{‎[16]Kafi, 2/497. The narration is mursal.}
4. From Imam Ali (a): ‘Children and wealth are the till of this world, and righteous deeds are the till of the hereafter. Some people are given both by God.’^{‎[17]Kafi, 5/57; Nahj, sermon 23; Maani, p. 324; Baghawi 3/194.}
5. From Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘As God – mighty and glorious – has said, Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of the world, just so the eight units of prayer at the end of the night are the adornment of the hereafter.’^{‎[18]Tahdhib, 2/120.}
6. From Ḥuṣayn ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘O Ḥuṣayn, do not belittle our love, for it is of the lasting righteous deeds.’ He said: ‘O son of the Messenger of God, I do not belittle it, but I thank God for it.’^{‎[19]Manaqib, 3/343.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

In addition to what was mentioned, the exegetes have mentioned different things to be the lasting righteous deeds:

1. It is any act done out of obedience to God.^{‎[20]Tibyan, 7/52; Tabrisi, 6/731; Tabari, 15/167. This opinion has been attributed to Ibn Abbas.}
2. It is saying subḥān allāh, wa al-ḥamdu li-llāh, wa lā ilāha illa-llāh, wa allāhu akbar.^{‎[21]Tabrisi, 6/731; Tabari, 15/165-167. This has also been attributed to Ibn Abbas, and others such as Mujāhid and Ibn ʿUmar.}
3. It is the daily prayers,^{‎[22]Tabrisi, 6/731; Tabari, 15/165; Ahkam, 3/1241. This too has been attributed to Ibn Abbas, Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, and others.} or night prayers (ṣalāt al-layl).^{‎[23]Tibyan, 7/52; Tabrisi, 6/731.}
4. It is kind speech.^{‎[24]Tabari, 15/167; Thalabi, 6/174.}
5. It is intentions and values.^{‎[25]Thalabi, 6/174.}

As the reader already knows, the first one is the correct opinion and the rest can be considered good examples of lasting righteous deeds. This is nicely stated in what is reported from Ibn Abbas: ‘It is to remember God, to say there is no god but God (lā ilāha illa-llāh), and God is the greatest (allāhu akbar), and glory be to God (subḥān allāh), and praise be to God (al-ḥamdu li-llāh), and blessed be God (tabārak allāh), and there is no power or strength except by God (lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bil-lāh), and I seek the forgiveness of God (astaghfiru-llāh), and may God send His blessings on the Messenger of God (ṣalla-llāhu ʿalā rasūl-illāh), and fasting, and praying, and pilgrimage, and charity, and freeing a slave, and jihad, and upkeeping relations with family, and all the good deeds. These are the lasting righteous deeds, which will remain for its people in paradise as long as the heavens and the earth stand.’^{‎[26]Tabari, 15/167.}

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in nor steal, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.^{‎[27]Matthew 6:19-21.}
2. Therefore, take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (For the Gentiles seek after all these things.) For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.^{‎[28]Matthew 6:31-33.}
3. Look, children are a gift of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a reward.^{‎[29]Psalms 127:3.}

[1] Mizan, 13/240.
[2] Raghib, p. 489.
[3] Razi, 21/467.    
[4] Alusi, 8/271.
[5] Alusi, 8/271.
[6] Tantawi, 8/527.
[7] Tibyan, 7/52.
[8] Razi, 21/468.
[9] Instead of saying ‘lasting righteous deeds are with your Lord a better reward’.
[10] Ahkam, 3/1241.
[11] Tabrisi, 6/731.
[12] Mahasin, 1/37; Amali.S, p. 270. A similar hadith may be found in Kafi, 2/506. This same report is also transmitted from Anas ibn Mālik, from the Prophet.
[13] Ayyashi, 2/327; Tabrisi, 6/731; Thalabi, 6/174.
[14] See for example Ahmad, 3/75, 4/267; Mustadrak.S, 1/512; Haythami, 5/247, 7/166, 10/87-93; Thalabi, 6/173.
[15] Razi, 21/468.
[16] Kafi, 2/497. The narration is mursal.
[17] Kafi, 5/57; Nahj, sermon 23; Maani, p. 324; Baghawi 3/194.
[18] Tahdhib, 2/120.
[19] Manaqib, 3/343.
[20] Tibyan, 7/52; Tabrisi, 6/731; Tabari, 15/167. This opinion has been attributed to Ibn Abbas.
[21] Tabrisi, 6/731; Tabari, 15/165-167. This has also been attributed to Ibn Abbas, and others such as Mujāhid and Ibn ʿUmar.
[22] Tabrisi, 6/731; Tabari, 15/165; Ahkam, 3/1241. This too has been attributed to Ibn Abbas, Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, and others.
[23] Tibyan, 7/52; Tabrisi, 6/731.
[24] Tabari, 15/167; Thalabi, 6/174.
[25] Thalabi, 6/174.
[26] Tabari, 15/167.
[27] Matthew 6:19-21.
[28] Matthew 6:31-33.
[29] Psalms 127:3.