Ad-Duhaa · Makki · ayah 8 of 11

Ad-Duhaa 93:8

وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًا فَأَغْنَىٰ

“And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient.”

Saheeh International

Essence

He found you with empty hands and made you free of need, and the only One truly rich is the One who did it.

A reflection

Only one is rich

Ghinā does not first mean money. It means having enough, so that no want remains. One classical definition is stricter still: richness is complete ownership. By that measure no one is truly rich but Allah. Everyone else is borrowing.

Set that beside the rich list. The watch, the second home, the portfolio. Each is held for a while, insured against loss, and left behind. The man boasting of his net worth is a tenant describing the landlord's furniture.

Why remind the Prophet ﷺ that he was once poor? One classical answer: so that he would never forget himself and fall into self-admiration. Remembering where you started is medicine for pride. Some people keep their first payslip in a drawer for exactly that reason.

Someone may object that God is boasting of His giving. But the One who is truly rich gains nothing from being thanked. The reminder is for the one who might forget.

The full entry has 7 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.