32 Preface وَلا تَتَمَنَّوا ما فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعضَكُم عَلىٰ بَعضٍ ۚ لِلرِّجالِ نَصيبٌ مِمَّا اكتَسَبوا ۖ وَلِلنِّساءِ نَصيبٌ مِمَّا اكتَسَبنَ ۚ وَاسأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِن فَضلِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِكُلِّ شَيءٍ عَليمًاYusuf AliAnd in no wise covet1 those things in which God Hath bestowed His gifts More freely on some of you than on others: To men is allotted what they earn, and to women what they earn: But ask God of His bounty. For God hath full knowledge of all things.Men and women have gifts from God-some greater than others. They seem unequal, but we are assured that Providence has allotted them by a scheme by which people receive what they earn. If this does not appear clear in our sight, let us remember that we have no full knowledge but God has. We must not be jealous if other people have more than we have-in wealth or position or strength or honour or talent or happiness. Probably things are equalized in the aggregate or in the long run, or equated to needs and merits on a scale which we cannot appraise. If we want more, instead of being jealous or covetous, we should pray to God and place before Him our needs. Though He knows all, and has no need of our prayer, our prayer may reveal to ourselves our shortcomings and enable us to deserve more of God’s bouncy or make ourselves fit for it.