الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ ثُمَّ لاَ يُتْبِعُونَ مَا أَنفَقُواُ مَنًّا وَلاَ أَذًى لَّهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ {262}

262. "Those who spend their property in the way of Allah, (and) thereafter, do not follow up what they have spent by reproach and with injury, for them shall be their reward with their Lord, and no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve."

Commentary:

A Worthy Charity!

In the previous verse, the importance of charity in the way of Allah was pointed out in general. Here, in this verse, some of its qualities are stated, too. It says:

"Those who spend their property in the way of Allah, (and) thereafter, do not follow up what they have spent by reproach and with injury, for them shall be their reward with their Lord..."

Besides the above mentioned privilege, this quality is in them again, that:

"... and no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve."

Therefore, those who spend some of their property in the way of Allah, but after that benevolent action, they reproach or do something that cause injury, they destroy their reward, indeed, with this reprobated action.

It can also be said that such persons, in many cases, not only are not good doers, but also are some transgressors, because the honour of a man and his psychological social capitals are often surely more valuable than property and wealth.

The Qur'anic holy phrase: "...for them shall be their reward with their Lord;" makes the givers of charity sure that their reward is reserved with their Lord in order that they go forth with a good amount of certainty along this path.

More than that, the application of the Qur'anic term /rabbihim/ (their Lord) in the verse, is a hint to this meaning that their Lord trains them and will multiply it.

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قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوفٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن صَدَقَةٍ يَتْبَعُهَا أَذًى وَاللّهُ غَنِيٌّ حَلِيمٌ {263}

263. "A kind word and forgiveness is better than a charity that is followed by injury, and Allah is Self-sufficient, Forbearing."

Commentary:

This verse, in fact, completes the idea in the previous verse. It says that those who have a good manner and good statement, facing with the people in need, and forgive them even when their insistence is with rudeness, their action is better than the donation of those who cause injury and irritation thereafter.

"A kind word and forgiveness is better than a charity that is followed by injury, and Allah is Self-sufficient, Forbearing."

This verse makes clear the logic of Islam due to the social values concerning the honour of people. Islam considers the value of the action of those who speak helpfully and leadingly with the needy people in order to protect them and keep their secrets hidden. This is more valuable than the charity of some selfish short-sighted individuals, who have sorts of approach and injury on such honourable persons for a small donation they give.

As was mentioned before the loss of these stingy people is more than their profit. When such persons give something, they ruin something else, too. Thus, the above statement made it clear that the Qur'anic phrase /qaulun ma'ruf / 'a kind word' has a vast meaning so that it envelops any word of kindness, consolation, affability and guidance.

The word /maqfirat / (forgiveness), mentioned in the verse, is used in contrast with the rudeness of the needy people.

In Nur-uth-Thaqalayn, the commentary, [8] it is narrated from the (holy Prophet of Islam (s) who said: "When a needy person asks you, do not interrupt his statement until he completes it. Then, respond him calmly and politely, or give him what you are able to spend, or return him agreeably, because the one may be an angel who is commissioned to try you in order to see how you behave with the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you. "

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[8] Nur-uth-Thaqalayn, vol. 1, p. 283