Wayumdidkum bi-amwalin wabaneena wayajAAal lakum jannatin wayajAAal lakum anhara (surah Nuh: 12)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(71:12) and will provide you with wealth and children, and will bestow upon you gardens and rivers. *12

Wa yumdidkum bi am waalinw wa baneena wa yaj`al lakum Jannaatinw wa yaj`al lakum anhaaraa

*12) This theme has been expressed at several places in the Qur'an that the rebellious attitude against God causes man to lead a wretched life not only in the Hereafter but also in this world, Contrary to this, if a nation adopts the way of faith and piety and obedience to Divine Commands, instead of disobedience, it benefits it not only in the Hereafter but also in the world; it is favoured with every kind of blessing. In Surah Ta Ha it has been said: "And whoever turns away from My Admonition, will have a wretched life in the world, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection." (v. 124). In Surah AI-Ma'idah it has been said: "Had the people of the Book observed the Torah and the Gospel and the other Books which had been sent down by their Lord, abundance of provisions would have been given to them from above and from beneath." (v. 66). In Al-A`raf: "Had the people of the settlements believed and adopted the way of piety, We would have opened on them doors of blessings from the heavens and the earth." (v. 96). In Surah Hud, the Prophet Hud addressed his people, saying: "And O my people, beg forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him in penitence, and He will open the gates of heavens for you and add more strength to your present strength." (v. 52). Through the Holy Prophet himself in this very Surah Hud, the people of Makkah have been admonished to the effect: "And you should beg forgiveness of your Lord, then return to Him, and He will provide you with good provisions of life till an appointed term." (v. 3). According to the Hadid, the Holy Prophet said to the Quraish: "There is a word which. if you accept, would enable you to rule over the Arab as well as the non-Arab world." (For explanation, see E.N. 96 of Al-Ma'idah, E.N.'s 3, 57 of Hud, E.N. 105 of Ta Ha; Introduction to Surah Suad), Acting on this same instruction from the Qur'an, once during a famine Hadrat `Umar came out to invoke Allah for the rain and begged only forgiveness of Him. The people said: "O Commander of the Faithful. you have not prayed for the rain." He replied: "I have knocked at the doors of heaven wherefrom the rain is sent down", and then he recited these verses of Surah Nuh to them. (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). Likewise, when in the assembly of Hadrat Hasan Basri, a person complained of drought, he said to him "Beg forgiveness of Allah." Another person complained of poverty, a third one said .that he was not being blessed with children, a fourth one said that his harvest had failed, and he continued to remind everyone to beg forgiveness of Allah. The people asked: "How is it that you have suggested to all the people one and the same cure for the different complaints? He in response recited these verses of Surah Nuh to them" (Al-Kashshaf).