He answered:

Praise be to Allah. The first occurrence is in the genitive, while the second is in the nominative. The meaning is that a person’s wealth cannot avail him against You: it cannot save or deliver him from You. Rather, what saves him is faith and righteous deeds. The word jadd means wealth, eminence, and possessions.

He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, explained that worldly authority and wealth cannot save a person or deliver him from Allah. Only his faith and piety can save him from His punishment. For he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“O Allah, none can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, nor can wealth avail its possessor against You.”

In this hadith, he explained two great principles. The first is Allah’s oneness in lordship: none can give what Allah withholds, and none can withhold what He gives; none but Him is to be relied upon, and none but Him is to be asked.

The second is Allah’s exclusive right to worship. This explains what benefits a person and what does not: not everyone granted wealth, worldly advantages, or authority thereby receives something that benefits him before Allah and saves him from His punishment. Allah grants worldly things to those He loves and those He does not love, but He grants faith only to those He loves. The Most High said:

“As for man, when his Lord tests him by honoring him and granting him favors, he says, ‘My Lord has honored me.’ But when He tests him by restricting his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’ No!”

That is: “Not everyone whose provision I have expanded have I honored, nor have I humiliated everyone whose provision I have restricted.” Rather, this is a test, so that the servant may be thankful in prosperity and patient in adversity. Thus, whoever is granted thankfulness