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What is the meaning of the phrase "and nothing from this world comes to him except what has been decreed for him" in the Hadith, and does it mean an increase in worldly possessions for one whose concern is the Hereafter?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Hadith narrated by Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and authenticated by Al-Albani, clarifies that whoever makes the Hereafter his primary concern, Allah will place richness in his heart and gather his affairs for him, and the world will come to him submissively. As for whoever makes the world his primary concern, Allah will place poverty before his eyes and scatter his affairs, and nothing from the world will come to him except what has been decreed for him.

The meaning of "and nothing from the world will come to him except what has been decreed for him" is that blameworthy greed for the world does not increase its possessor in benefit, for his provision is predetermined. So, whoever seeks the Hereafter, his provision comes to him effortlessly, while whoever seeks the world, his provision comes to him with toil and hardship.

And the wise person should be content with seeking the world through lawful means without excessive greed, taking what is permissible and abandoning what is forbidden, as stated in the Hadith, "Be moderate in seeking," meaning seek provision gently.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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