His saying, exalted and glorified is He: "And We did not send in any city a warner except that its affluent said, 'Indeed, we are disbelievers in that with which you have been sent.'" "And they said, 'We are greater in wealth and children, and we are not to be punished.'" "Say, 'Indeed, my Lord extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. But most of the people do not know.'" "And your wealth and your children are not that which brings you near to Us. Except for one who has believed and done righteous deeds. For them is the reward of double for what they did, and they will be in the chambers [of Paradise] secure." This is a consolation for the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, regarding the actions and words of Quraysh. That is: This, O Muhammad, is the way of the nations, so let not the matter of your people trouble you. And "the city" refers to the city, and "the affluent" refers to the rich, idle, and wealthy who exert little effort of body and soul. Their habit is to hasten to deny. And His saying, exalted and glorified is He: "And they said, 'We are greater in wealth and children'" may refer back to "the affluent," and this could be from their words along with their denial. And since Quraysh were like them, Allah, exalted and glorified is He, commanded him to say: "Indeed, my Lord extends..." the verse. It may also be that the pronoun in "they said" refers to Quraysh, and the words of "the affluent" have preceded, then the verse continues. The meaning of their saying: "We are greater in wealth and children" is an argument that Allah has not given us this and decreed it for us except for His pleasure with us and our way, and we are among those who will not be punished at all; for the Allah whom you claim to know about all things and His encompassing knowledge has decreed blessings upon us, so He is then pleased with us. Some of the commentators said: The meaning of their saying: "And we are not to be punished" is [that they are not punished] by poverty. This is not like the first in strength. So Allah, exalted and glorified is He, commanded His Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, to say: The matter is not as they think, rather, the extension of provision and its restriction is dependent on the will [of Allah] for both the disbeliever and the believer, and none of this is evidence of Allah's pleasure, exalted and glorified is He, and nearness to Him; for He may give that as a test and a trap, and many of the people do not know that, as you disbelievers do. And a group read: "and restricts," and another group read it with emphasis, which refers to the meaning of restriction that is against extension. Then He informed them that their wealth and their children are not that which brings them near to Allah, "zulfā," which is a source meaning nearness, as if He said: They bring you near to Us by bringing you near. And Al-Dahhak read: "zulafā" with a fatḥah on the lām and with tanwīn. And His saying: "Except for one who has believed" is an exception, and "who" is in the position of nṣb by way of exception. And Al-Zajjāj said: It is a substitute for the pronoun in "brings you near." And Al-Farrā' said: It is in the position of rafʿ, and the meaning of the speech is: Nothing is brought near except for one who has believed. And the majority read: "the reward of double" with the addition, and Qatādah read: "a reward" with tanwīn and "the double" in rafʿ. And it was narrated from him that he said: "a reward" in nṣb with tanwīn and "the double" in nṣb. And "the double" here is a generic term, meaning by doubling; for some of them will be rewarded up to tenfold, and some more, ascending to seven hundred, according to their deeds and Allah's will in them.

The majority read: "in the chambers" in the plural form. Hamzah alone read: "in the chamber" in the singular form, which refers to the general meaning intended as the plural. It has been narrated from Al-A'mash, and both readings are good. Abu Ali said: This plural form with the alif and ta is used for abundance, and among it is the saying of Hassan:

Our wide-eyed cups shine in the morning light, And our swords drip with blood from valor.

He intended nothing but the abundance of cups. Consider Al-A'sha's critique of this verse.

Al-A'sha, Al-Hasan, and Asim read - with a difference -: "in the chambers" with the ra' being silent.