and dates beginning to ripen at their tips, and fresh water: do you fear that this is among the blessings about which we shall be questioned?’ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, replied, ‘That applies only to the disbelievers.’ He then recited: ‘Do We requite anyone but the ungrateful?’ (43:17).”

Al-Wāhidī said: “The apparent meaning supports this view, for the entire surah addresses the polytheists and threatens them. Its meaning also supports this view: the disbelievers did not fulfil the obligations arising from the blessings bestowed upon them, since they associated partners with their Lord and worshipped others besides Him. They therefore deserved to be questioned about His blessings as a rebuke: did they fulfil their obligations concerning them, or did they neglect what was due for those blessings? They will then be punished for failing to show gratitude by worshipping the Bestower alone.”

He added: “This is the meaning of Muqātil’s statement, and it is also the view of al-Hasan, who said: ‘Only the people of the Fire will be questioned about blessings.’”

I say: Neither the wording, nor the authentic Sunnah, nor rational evidence requires that this address be restricted to the disbelievers. Rather, the apparent wording, the explicit Sunnah, and sound reasoning indicate that the address encompasses everyone whose rivalry in accumulating more has distracted them. There is therefore no justification for restricting it to only some of those who fit this description.

Evidence for this is the Prophet’s statement, peace and blessings be upon him, when reciting this surah:

“The son of Adam says, ‘My wealth! My wealth!’ Yet what do you have of your wealth except what you have eaten and consumed, or worn and worn out?”—the hadith continues.

This is recorded in Sahīh Muslim. The person saying this may be either a Muslim or a disbeliever.

Further evidence is found in the hadiths cited above and in the Companions’ questions to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. They understood the address to be general, even saying to him, “What blessings will we be questioned about, when all we have are dates and water?” Had the address been restricted to the disbelievers, he would have explained that to them and said, “What has this to do with you? It applies only to the disbelievers.”

Thus, the Companions understood the address to be general, the hadiths explicitly establish its general scope, and the one to whom the Quran was revealed affirmed their understanding of that general scope.