28 Preface وَاعلَموا أَنَّما أَموالُكُم وَأَولادُكُم فِتنَةٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ أَجرٌ عَظيمٌYusuf AliAnd know ye that your possessions and your progeny are but a trial;1 and that it is God with Whom lies your highest reward.A big family-many sons-was considered a source of power and strength: 3:10, 116. So in English, a man with many children is said to have his “quiver full;” Cf. Psalms, 127:4-5: “As arrows are in the hands of a mighty man, so are the children of thy youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate”. So with property and possessions: they add to a man’s dignity, power, and influence. But both possessions and a large family are a temptation and a trial. They may turn out to be a source of spiritual downfall, if they are mishandled, or if the love of them excludes the love of God.