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Surah 43. Az-Zukhruf, Ayah 33

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وَلَوْلَآ أَن يَكُونَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً لَّجَعَلْنَا لِمَن يَكْفُرُ بِٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمْ سُقُفًا مِّن فِضَّةٍ وَمَعَارِجَ عَلَيْهَا يَظْهَرُونَ
Walawl a an yakoona a l nn a su ommatan w ah idatan lajaAAaln a liman yakfuru bi al rra h m a ni libuyootihim suqufan min fi dd atin wamaAA a rija AAalayh a ya th haroon a
And were it not that [with the prospect of boundless riches before them] all people would become one [evil] community,29 We might indeed have provided for those who [now] deny the Most Gracious roofs of silver for their houses, and [silver] stairways whereon to ascend,
  - Mohammad Asad

Since "man has been created weak" ( 4:28 ), it is almost a "law of nature" that whenever he is exposed to the prospect of great wealth he is liable to lose sight of all spiritual and moral considerations, and to become utterly selfish, greedy and ruthless.

And were it not that all mankind might become one nation of unbelievers, We would have given those who disbelieve in the Compassionate (Allah), such houses whose roofs, stairways by which they go to upper chambers all made with silver,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Were it not that people might 'be tempted to' become one community 'of disbelievers', We would have supplied the homes of 'only' those who disbelieve in the Most Compassionate with silver roofs and 'silver' stairways to ascend,
  - Mustafa Khattab
And were it not that mankind would have become one community, We might well have appointed, for those who disbelieve in the Beneficent, roofs of silver for their houses and stairs (of silver) whereby to mount,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And were it not that (all) men might become of one (evil) way of life We would provide for everyone that blasphemes against (Allah) Most Gracious silver roofs for their houses and (silver) stair-ways on which to go up. 4636
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

So little value is attached in the spiritual world to silver or gold, or worldly ranks or adornments, that they would freely be at the disposal of everyone who denied or blasphemed Allah, were it not that in that case there would be too great temptation placed in the way of men, for they might all scramble to sell their spiritual life for wealth! They might have silver roofs and stair-ways, silver doors and thrones, and all kinds of adornments of gold. But Allah does not allow too great a temptation to be placed in the path of men. He distributes these things differently, some to unjust men, and some to just men, in various degrees, so that the possession of these is no test either of an unjust or a just life. His wisdom searches out motives far more subtle and delicate than any we are even aware of.

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