Surah Al-Nisâ’ 4:32

وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۚ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبُوا ۖ وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِ ۗ

4:32 The expression “And do not covet the favours, which Allâh has bestowed on some of you to excel others” (وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ  ) means that we should not pray that Allâh may give us exactly what others have been granted. We constantly receive gifts and rewards from Allâh; some people appear more favoured than others. This may seem unjust, but we are assured that the All-Mighty (al-‘Azîz) Lord bestows His reward according to His scheme. According to His right Judgment, people receive what they earn. So we are recommended to go on praying to Allâh, asking for His bounty and grace, and we should try our utmost to use the resources and capabilities that He has bestowed on us. However, we should not pray that Allâh might give us the things that are against His Wisdom and Attributes, or the very same things that another person possesses. While praying one should not keep in view any particular favoured person, wishing that Allâh might make one like that particular person. The phrase لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبُوا , “Men shall have the share of the fruit of their labour, and for women is the share of the fruit of their labour,” contains the key to individual and collective progress. The words also reveal the equality of men and women so far as their work and reward are concerned.