4 Sura al-Nisa

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

وَلاَ تَتَمَنَّوْاْ مَا فَضَّلَ اللّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ...   

4:32.  And in no wise covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed his gifts more freely on some of you than on others:

C542. Men and women have gifts from Allah -some greater than others. They seem unequal. but we are assured that Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah's bounty or make ourselves fit for it.

... لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبُواْ وَلِلنِّسَاء نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ...  

to men is allotted what they earn,

and to women what they earn:

... وَاسْأَلُواْ اللّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِ...  

but ask Allah of His bounty:

... إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا ﴿٣٢﴾  

for Allah hath full knowledge of all things.

Asad’s version

4:32 Hence, do not covet the bounties which God has bestowed more abundantly on some of you than on others. Men shall have a benefit from what they earn, and women shall have a benefit from what they earn. Ask, therefore, God [to give you] out of His bounty: behold, God has indeed full knowledge of everything.