A complaint made by earlier generations
Those who came before will object that the later ones did less.
إِنَّمَا بَقَاؤُكُمْ فِيمَا سَلَفَ قَبْلَكُمْ مِنَ الأُمَمِ، كَمَا بَيْنَ صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ إِلَى غُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ، أُعْطِيَ أَهْلُ التَّوْرَاةِ التَّوْرَاةَ، فَعَمِلُوا بِهَا حَتَّى انْتَصَفَ النَّهَارُ، ثُمَّ عَجَزُوا، فَأُعْطُوا قِيرَاطًا قِيرَاطًا، ثُمَّ أُعْطِيَ أَهْلُ الإِنْجِيلِ الإِنْجِيلَ، فَعَمِلُوا بِهِ حَتَّى صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ، ثُمَّ عَجَزُوا، فَأُعْطُوا قِيرَاطًا قِيرَاطًا، ثُمَّ أُعْطِيتُمُ الْقُرْآنَ فَعَمِلْتُمْ بِهِ حَتَّى غُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ، فَأُعْطِيتُمْ قِيرَاطَيْنِ قِيرَاطَيْنِ، قَالَ أَهْلُ التَّوْرَاةِ رَبَّنَا هَؤُلاَءِ أَقَلُّ عَمَلاً وَأَكْثَرُ أَجْرًا. قَالَ هَلْ ظَلَمْتُكُمْ مِنْ أَجْرِكُمْ مِنْ شَىْءٍ قَالُوا لاَ. فَقَالَ فَذَلِكَ فَضْلِي أُوتِيهِ مَنْ أَشَاءُ
They will say: our Lord, these did less work and were given more reward. He will say: is it not My bounty, which I give to whom I will?
The full narration
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while he was standing on the pulpit, saying, "The remaining period of your stay (on the earth) in comparison to the nations before you, is like the period between the `Asr prayer and sunset. The people of the Torah were given the Torah and they acted upon it till midday, and then they were worn out and were given for their labor, one Qirat each. Then the people of the Gospel were given the Gospel and they acted upon it till the time of the `Asr prayer, and then they were worn out and were given (for their labor), one Qirat each. Then you people were given the Qur'an and you acted upon it till sunset and so you were given two Qirats each (double the reward of the previous nations)." Then the people of the Torah said, 'O our Lord! These people have done a little labor (much less than we) but have taken a greater reward.' Allah said, 'Have I withheld anything from your reward?' They said, 'No.' Then Allah said, 'That is My Favor which I bestow on whom I wish
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · 7467
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)