Thus, Allah (swt) differentiates between the two types of people. The normal situation is that when you perform the rituals of Allah (swt) and when you enter the house of worshipping Allah (swt) then you enjoy His (swt) hospitality. When you are in a ritual, so you are in the place of worship for that you have to elevate the level of your supplications.

The greater the granter is, the higher the need must be. In Hajj you are in front of the Lord (swt) and you have performed the obligation of a lifetime, which is the obligation of Hajj. So, when you are in a worship act or anywhere and you remember Allah (swt), and want to ask Him (swt), so that ask in consideration to His (swt) unlimited ability and do not ask according to your ability. Allah (swt) gives you and gives others, He (swt) is able to give all people at the same time more than they expect, as His treasures are full. Therefore, when Imam Ali (May Allah be pleased with Him) was asked, “How will Allah take all of his creation to account at the same time ?” He said, “Just as He provides them at the same time.”

Allah (swt) sustains all people simultaneously, and holds all people accountable at one time. Allah’s power is limitless, if you seek goodness, ask for lasting goodness, and remaining goodness, ask for stable bliss, and do not precipitate an urgent lust at the expense of permanent bliss.

( رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ) (Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good.): What is this worldly life and how much does it worth? But what is the worldly life compared to the Hereafter except a very little. However, since that this world is a farm for the Hereafter, Islam does not want you to ask just for the Hereafter grants, rather ask for the goodness of this life of the world and the Hereafter.

A question comes to mind; when the verse differentiated between the two types of people, as the first group says: (“Our Lord, give us in this world,” and he will have in the Hereafter no share.) That is, they have no share in the Afterlife. The other group says: (“Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”). When Allah (swt) talks about the first group, He (swt) did not say: ([that which is] good). Why?

(“Our Lord, give us in this world,”) means that they have no interest except in this world. However, when Allah (swt) talks about the other group, He (swt) directs the believers to ask for the good of this world and the hereafter. It is mentioned in Sahih Al-Bukhari that Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said that the most frequent invocation of The Prophet (saws) was:

“O Allah! Give to us in the world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire.”[1]

We do not forget our share of this world, but we ask for the goodness of this world and the Hereafter. We take the goodness in this world, as the religion of Islam is the religion of goodness. But when Allah (swt) in the first verse omit the word (good) because the concerns of this first group are limited to this worldly life. They do not know the standards of goodness, and do not know the criteria of what is good from what is bad. They may think that they are asking for what is good, but indeed it is bad for them and for others. Such as, Allah (swt) says:

 {وَيَدْعُ الْإِنسَانُ بِالشَّرِّ دُعَاءَهُ بِالْخَيْرِ ۖ وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ عَجُولًا }

(And man supplicates for evil as he supplicates for good, and man is ever hasty.) (Al-Israa’: 11)  and says:

{ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ}

(But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not .)  (Al-Baqarah: 206)   and says:

 {وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ }

(And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.)  (Yusuf: 21)

Note the accuracy of the performance of the Qur’an. As we commented earlier that:

 {وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا}

(If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.)  (Al-Nisaa’: 82)

If it had been that a human being who has written the Holy Qur’an, he would not have thought to distinguish between the two groups. Allah (swt) does not mention the word (good) in this verse:  (And among the people is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world,” and he will have in the Hereafter no share,), but when He (swt) mentions the other group, He (swt) says the word (good): (But among them is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”.)

Allah (swt) knows that the human beings might supplicate to gain something, and it may not be good. However, Allah (swt) may give them what they have asked for, but by giving them, He (swt) is testing them.

You may call and pray, and you want Allah (swt) to fulfill this supplication, and there would be a tacit evil that Allah (swt) wants to obscure it from you. Thus, the standards of prayer are the standards of the Lord of the servants, and not the standards of the servants, and hence Allah (swt) says: (And among the people is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world,” and he will have in the Hereafter no share,) because this world is their concern. However, those who say: (“Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good.”), their concern is the good, and Allah (swt) wants the supplication to be good, and leads to good.

[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of Invocations, Chapter: “Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good”, no. 6026.