2/200-202 — Two prayers, two persons
"…Among the people are some who say, 'Our Lord, give to us in this world'; and they have no share in the hereafter. And among them are some who say, 'Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and guard us from the punishment of the fire.'"
| Prayer | What is asked | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| The first | This world alone | Mā lahū fi'l-ākhirati min khalāq — no share in the hereafter |
| The second | This world and the hereafter | Counted among those accepted |
The point to be noticed: the prayer that is refused is not refused because it asks for this world. This world is asked for in the second prayer too. What is refused is asking for this world alone.
خَلَاق — root خ-ل-ق: to measure and shape a thing. From this come both the sense "to create" and the sense "portion, share". The word here means an allotted share.
The command at the head of the section prepares this pair as well: فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ ءَابَآءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًا — "remember God as you remember your forefathers, or with a stronger remembrance." Gathering after the pilgrimage to praise one's forefathers was a widespread custom; the verse does not abandon the act of remembering, it changes its direction. A working repeated in the sūra: the form stays, the content is set in its place.