(THESE ARE) THE BLOSSOMS OF THE PRESENT LIFE, THROUGH WHICH WE TEST THEM; AND THE SUSTENANCE OF YOUR LORD IS BETTER AND MORE ENDURING. وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا لاَ نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقاً نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَى(( 132 )) 132- AND ENJOIN THE PRAYER ON YOUR FAMILY, AND INSIST UPON IT. WE DO NOT ASK YOU FOR SUSTENANCE. WE ARE SUSTAINING YOU, AND THE GOOD END IS FOR PIETY.
وَقَالُوا لَوْلاَ يَأْتِينَا بِآيَة مِّنْ رَّبِّهِ أَوَلَمْ تَأْتِهِمْ بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِى الصُّحُفِ الاُْولَى(( 133 )) 133- AND THEY SAID:ِ ``WHY DOES HE NOT BRING US A SIGN FROM HIS LORD?
HAS THERE NOT COME TO THEM THE EVIDENCES WHICH ARE IN THE FORMER SCRIPTURES?'' وَلَوْ أَنَّا أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِعَذَاب مِّنْ قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلاَ أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولا فَنَتَّبِعَ آيَاتِكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَّذِلَّ وَنَخْزَى(( 134 )) 134- AND IF WE HAD DESTROYED THEM BY A PUNISHMENT BEFORE IT, THEY WOULD HAVE SAID:ِ ``OUR LORD!
WHY DID YOU NOT SEND A MESSENGER TO US, SO THAT WE MIGHT HAVE FOLLOWED YOUR SIGNS, BEFORE WE WERE HUMBLED AND DISGRACED.'' [ 147 ] قُلْ كُلٌّ مُّتَرَبِّصٌ فَتَرَبَّصُوا فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَصْحَابُ الصِّرَاطِ السَّوِىِّ وَمَنِ اهْتَدَى(( 135 )) 135- WE ARE ALL WAITING; THEN YOU WAIT ON. AND SOON SHALL YOU KNOW, WHO IS THE FOLLOWER OF THE STRAIGHT WAY AND WHO HAS BEEN GUIDED.
THE COMMENTARY VERSE NO.130ِ135 In these verses, some instructions are given to our prophet, that are in fact, general to the whole community of Muslims; and all have to observe it. At first, it advises us not to look with eagerness to the temporal and transitory bounties of this material world. These are the blossoms of our present life that sprout out quickly, and fade away soon!
If we compare the good things of this material world with that of the life to come, these are really trifles of little value and importance. They are used by God as a means of tests and trials, in order to separate wrong from right, and to make known the truthful and the liar. The good things of the life to come, will come specially from God for His devoted servants, and they are far better in value, and more enduring; and many of them everlasting.
The next verse (NO.131) wants the prophet to enjoin the prayer on his family and to insist upon that. When these verses were sent down in Mecca, the prophet's household mainly consisted of Hazrat Khadijeh, his wife, and Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), then a boy in his teen ages.