Tafseer Al-Baqarah (2: 126)

From the Book, Introduction to the Tafseer of the Quran,

by the Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir, the eminent jurist and statesman, Sheikh Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah:

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنْ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ قَالَ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَى عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

"(Recall) when Ibrāhīm said, "My Lord, make this a city of peace, and provide its people with fruits - those of them who believe in Allah and the Last Day." He (Allah) said, "As for the one who disbelieves, I shall let him enjoy a little, then I shall drag him to the punishment of the Fire. How evil an end it is!" [al-Baqara: 126]

1. Ibrahim (as) supplicated that the land in which he left his family be made a secure land and that it's people have abundant provision. However, Ibrahim (as) made his du'a for those in the land who believe in Allah (swt) and the Last Day, that is, مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ"those of them who believe in Allah and the Last Day" is a partial apposition [badl] of "its people".

2. Allah (swt) answered the du'a of Ibrahim (as) and added that He will also provide for ((وَمَنْ كَفَرَ))"the one who disbelieves", letting him enjoy a little, that is, in the life in the world which, however long it be in aboslute terms, is little compared to the life of the Hereafter. After this little enjoyment, the destination of this disbeliever shall be the Fire.

Thus, Allah favours people with his provision, whether they be believers or disbelievers in the world. But in the hereafter, it is a great reward in the gardens of eternity for the believers and a most evil fate for the disbelievers in the fire of Jahannam, as Allah (swt) says,

مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَاءُ لِمَنْ نُرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلاَهَا مَذْمُومًا مَدْحُورًا - وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الآخِرَةَ وَسَعَى لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُوْلَئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُمْ مَشْكُورًا - كُلاًّ نُمِدُّ هَؤُلاَءِ وَهَؤُلاَءِ مِنْ عَطَاءِ رَبِّكَ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا

"Whoever opts for the immediate (benefits from) life herein, We give him, right here in this life, as much as We will, to whomever We intend. Then We assign Jahannam for him where he shall enter condemned, discarded. And whoever opts for the Hereafter and makes efforts for it as due, while he is a believer, then, the effort of such people is appreciated! To all of them - both these and those - We extend the grants of your Lord. And the grant of your Lord is not barred (for anyone)." [Isra: 18-20]

That is, provision in the world is for both believers and disbelievers. As for the Hereafter, the matter is different. The pleasure of Allah and Jannah is only for the believers and His Wrath and the Fire is for the disbelievers. And praise is for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.