Verse 2 – continued
ٱلَّذِى جَمَعَ مَالًۭا وَعَدَّدَهُۥ
”Who amasses wealth and counts it over”
When Loving Money Goes Wrong
Sometimes, big companies get “sick” with a love for money. They start to care more about their “bank account” than about “people.” Here are two sad stories of what happens when adults choose money over being kind:
1. The Baby Milk Story
A long time ago, a big company wanted to sell more baby formula. They went to poor countries and told moms that formula was “better” and “fancier” than a mother’s own milk.
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Many of these moms didn’t have clean water to mix the milk powder with. Because the company wanted more money, they told lies (slander), and many babies got very sick. They forgot that a baby’s health is worth way more than a pile of money
2. The Dangerous Car Story
Another company made a car but realized the gas tank might catch fire if it got hit. They did the math: “It costs a lot of money to fix the cars, but it costs less money to just pay people if they get hurt.”
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They decided to stay quiet and let people take the risk withe their lives. They treated human lives like they were just numbers on a calculator to ensure they saved more money
The world today often tells us that “having the most stuff” is the goal. But the Quran warns us that when we obsess over money:
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We start to think we are “better” than others
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We think we will live forever and don’t need to be good
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We end up hurting people just to get one more dollar
God wants us to remember that people are precious, and money is just a tool to help us do good!
Discussion:
Exploring Big Ideas Together
You can use this verse as a springboard to chat about some important lessons. Here are a few ways to bring these “grown-up” topics down to earth:
• The “More, More, More” Trap (Greed): Talk about why having everything doesn’t always make someone happy
• The Magic of Every Living Thing (Value of Life): Help them see that every creature and person is special. It’s a great time to discuss why we treat others with kindness and respect
• Every Drop Counts (Water Scarcity): Explain that water is like a precious treasure. You can talk about how we can be “water heroes” by turning off the tap while brushing our teeth
• Being a Planet Protector (Waste): Discuss where things go when we’re finished with them. Ask, “How can we give our toys or scraps a second life instead of just throwing them away?”
- Previous: Verse 2 — Collecting and Counting Wealth → surah-al-humazah-verse-2-kids-wealth
- Next: Verse 3 — Does Money Make Us Live Forever? → surah-al-humazah-verse-3-kids