Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AR RA'D [26]

(Do they think that in wealth and children with which We enlarge them. We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not.)ï´¿23:55-56ï´¾ Allah belittled the life of the present world in comparison to what He has prepared for His believing servants in the Hereafter,

  (whereas the life of this world compared to the Hereafter is but a brief passing enjoyment.) Allah said in other Ayat,

(Say: ”Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is (far) better for him who has Taqwa, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly even equal to the amount of a Fatila.)﴿4:77﴾ and,  

(Nay, you prefer the life of this world, although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.)ï´¿87:16-17ï´¾ Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Mustawrid, from Bani Fihr, said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(The life of the present world, compared to the Hereafter, is just like when one of you inserts his finger in the sea, so let him contemplate how much of it will it carry.) and he pointed with the index finger. Imam Muslim also collected this Hadith in his Sahih. In another Hadith, the Prophet passed by a dead sheep, whose ears were small, and said,

(By Allah! The life of this present world is as insignificant to Allah as this sheep was to its owners when they threw it away.)