The Benefit of Disbelievers in the World

As previously discussed, God the Glorified responded to the two prayers mentioned in the verse. The first prayer, which was an absolute request for the establishment of the city of Mecca, was granted in an unrestricted manner: God transformed the barren, desolate land into a city and granted it security for all. However, in response to the second prayer—Abraham’s specific supplication for the believers of Mecca to benefit from its fruits—God, while granting blessings to the believers in both this world and the Hereafter, clarified the limited nature of provision for disbelievers. Concerning the disbelievers residing in Mecca, God stated they would experience only limited worldly security and sustenance, followed by the punishment of the Fire in an undesirable destination: “He said, ‘As for him who disbelieves, I will provide for him a little, then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and it is an evil destination.’”

This limitation does not imply that God offers disbelievers only meager or short-lived blessings. Rather, it highlights the inherently minor nature of worldly life when compared to the Hereafter: “The enjoyment of the life of this world compared to the Hereafter is but little.”(209) Thus, even if a disbeliever enjoys worldly pleasures throughout his life, the benefit remains insignificant from a divine perspective: “I will provide for him a little.” Due to its limited and transient nature, the world is described as “little provision” (matāʿ qalīl): “Say, ‘The enjoyment of this world is little.’”(210) Therefore, even if a disbeliever accumulates wealth and comfort over many years, his worldly enjoyment is ultimately minor and without value in the sight of God. As God states, if it weren’t for the risk of leading people into disbelief due to widespread materialism and the inclination of those with weaker faith towards worldly allure, He would have granted the disbelievers extravagant material luxuries—houses with silver roofs, stairways, doors, couches, and gold adornments—to emphasize the insignificance of worldly life: “If it were not that people would become a single community [of disbelievers], We would have provided those who disbelieve in the Most Merciful with houses having silver roofs and stairways upon which to mount, and houses with doors and couches [of silver] upon which to recline, and gold ornament. But all that is not but the enjoyment of worldly life. And the Hereafter with your Lord is for the righteous” [43:33-35].

This makes it clear that material wealth should not be viewed as a sign of nearness to God. In fact, for some, wealth becomes a trial, diverting them from God’s remembrance and ultimately becoming a means of punishment in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur’an warns: “And let not their wealth and their children impress you. God only intends to punish them through them in worldly life and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers” [9:85].

In contrast, believers seek ḥasanāt—the good of both this world and the Hereafter—praying: “Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire” [2:201]. They desire worldly sustenance not merely for indulgence, but to maintain dignity and independence. Meanwhile, worldly people, engrossed in material desires, often disregard the eternal good of the Hereafter, seeking worldly gains without distinction between lawful and unlawful means: “And among the people is he who says, ‘Our Lord, give us in this world.’”

Such individuals will be deprived of the blessings of the Hereafter: “And he will have no share in the Hereafter” [2:200]. Accordingly, as indicated by the final part of the verse under discussion, not every enjoyment and fruit is inherently a mercy. Although God the Glorified grants these same fruits to both believers and disbelievers, allowing each to benefit according to their efforts, the nature of this benefit differs fundamentally. The believer derives enjoyment from these blessings in a way that does not lead to accountability in the Hereafter, while the disbeliever’s enjoyment becomes a source of responsibility and judgment in the Hereafter. Thus, these fruits are considered ḥasana (good) for the believer and sayyiʾa (evil) for the disbeliever.

To elaborate, based on the all-encompassing mercy (raḥmat raḥmāniyya) of God the Glorified, there is no difference in this world between believers and disbelievers in terms of benefiting from divine blessings. Spiritual blessings, however, are reserved only for the righteous; as God states regarding imāma (leadership): “My covenant does not include the wrongdoers.” Material blessings, on the other hand, are extended to all to the extent that is deemed beneficial, as these blessings serve as a divine test and trial: “Whoever desires the immediate, We hasten for him from it what We will to whom We intend. Then We have made for him Hell, which he will [enter to] burn, censured and banished. But whoever desires the Hereafter and exerts the effort due to it while he is a believer—it is those whose effort is ever appreciated [by God]. To each [category] We extend—to these and to those—from the gift of your Lord. And never has the gift of your Lord been restricted.” It is not the case that, if, for instance, it rains or a spring flows, only the virtuous benefit while the wicked are deprived.

Thus, the principle presented in the verse under discussion—that “all the inhabitants of Mecca will benefit from the fruits, with the difference that the worldly enjoyment of the believers is linked to the blessings of the Hereafter, while the worldly benefit of the disbelievers is connected to the punishment of the Hereafter”—applies universally to all believers and disbelievers, not only to the disbelievers of Mecca and Ḥijāz. This principle is reiterated in other verses as well: “And whoever has disbelieved—let not his disbelief grieve you. To Us is their return, and We will inform them of what they did. Indeed, God is Knowing of that within the breasts. We grant them enjoyment for a little; then We will force them to a massive punishment.”

Based on this understanding, it becomes evident that in the time of Abraham (a.s.) and thereafter, prior to the establishment of the Islamic system, the inhabitants of Mecca were of two types: believers and disbelievers. The believers enjoyed both worldly and otherworldly blessings, while the disbelievers only partook of worldly pleasures, facing eternal punishment in the Hereafter. Given this context, along with what was previously discussed regarding security, it can be concluded that the polytheistic and disbelieving inhabitants of Mecca, like the believers, benefited from the city’s security as well as its material fruits and blessings.

It is important to note that the economic provision for the inhabitants of Mecca does not occur through supernatural means. God the Glorified explains how fruits are brought to Mecca—a land devoid of cultivation and natural resources—through His provision: “Have We not established for them a safe sanctuary to which are brought the fruits of all things as provision from Us?”