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íóÇ ÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÂãóäõæÇú áÇó ÊõÈúØöáõæÇú ÕóÏóÞóÇÊößõã ÈöÇáúãóäøö æóÇáÃÐóì ßóÇáøóÐöí íõäÝöÞõ ãóÇáóåõ ÑöÆóÇÁ ÇáäøóÇÓö æóáÇó íõÄúãöäõ ÈöÇááøåö æóÇáúíóæúãö ÇáÂÎöÑö ÝóãóËóáõåõ ßóãóËóáö ÕóÝúæóÇäò Úóáóíúåö ÊõÑóÇÈñ ÝóÃóÕóÇÈóåõ æóÇÈöáñ ÝóÊóÑóßóåõ ÕóáúÏðÇ áÇøó íóÞúÏöÑõæäó Úóáóì ÔóíúÁò ãøöãøóÇ ßóÓóÈõæÇú æóÇááøåõ áÇó íóåúÏöí ÇáúÞóæúãó ÇáúßóÇÝöÑöíäó {264} æóãóËóáõ ÇáøóÐöíäó íõäÝöÞõæäó ÃóãúæóÇáóåõãõ ÇÈúÊöÛóÇÁ ãóÑúÖóÇÊö Çááøåö æóÊóËúÈöíÊðÇ ãøöäú ÃóäÝõÓöåöãú ßóãóËóáö ÌóäøóÉò ÈöÑóÈúæóÉò ÃóÕóÇÈóåóÇ æóÇÈöáñ ÝóÂÊóÊú ÃõßõáóåóÇ ÖöÚúÝóíúäö ÝóÅöä áøóãú íõÕöÈúåóÇ æóÇÈöáñ ÝóØóáøñ æóÇááøåõ ÈöãóÇ ÊóÚúãóáõæäó ÈóÕöíÑñ {265}
264. "O' you who have Faith! do not nullify your charities by reproach and injury, like the one who spends his property to be seen by people, and does not believe in Allah and the last Day; so his likeness is as the likeness of a rock whereon is (a little) soil, ( then a heavy rain falls upon it and leaves it just a bare stone. They shall not be able to gain anything of what they have earned; and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people." 265. "But the likeness of those who spend their property to seek the pleasure of Allah, and to strengthen their own souls, is as the likeness of a garden on a high ground, upon which a heavy rain falls and it yields its fruit two-fold; but if a heavy rain does not fall upon it, then a light rain (is sufficient); and Allah sees what you do." Commentary: In the previous couple of verses, at first, this fact was pointed out that the believers should not make their charities in the way of Allah invalid because of reproach and injury. Then, two interesting similitude are expressed upon those charities which are followed by reproach and injury and also for hypocritical acts and ostentation, and those charities which are originated from loyalty and human sympathy.
Consider a piece of rock covered with a little amount of dust., When it be sown with good seeds and exposed to fresh air and sunshine, and then, a harsh rain falls upon it, the rain will surely washes out the thin dust from the rock and scatters the containing seed with the dust. Consequently, the hard impenetrable rock, on which no plant can grow, appears with its rough feature. This is not for that the fresh air; sunshine and falling rain have had a bad effect. It is because the place where the seed was sown has been an inappropriate place for the aim. Its appearance was adorned while its inner side was an impenetrable rough rock with a mere thin amount of dust over its surface. It is in a state that plants and trees, besides having suitable conditions above the ground, need a good preparation under the ground for the roots in order to spread and feed.
"O' you who have Faith! do not nullify your charities by reproach and injury, like the one who spends his property to be seen by people and does not believe in Allah and the last Day..."
The Qur'an has likened the hypocritical deeds and charities followed with reproach and injury, that which originate from the callous, hearts, to a rock covered with a little dust from which no profit can be gained. So, the efforts of the farmer and the sower will be wasted, too.
"...so his likeness is as the likeness of a rock whereon is (a little) soil, then a heavy rain falls upon it and leaves it just a bare stone. They shall not be able to gain anything of what they have earned; and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people." Another Interesting Similitude Consider a green grass garden which is located on a high productive land and benefited from fresh free air and sufficient sunshine. Useful downpour falls water it, but when the rainfall is not enough, drizzles and drops of dew preserve the pleasantness and freshness of the garden. As a result, such a garden usually yields its fruits two-fold more than the other ordinary gardens. This sort of gardens, besides having productive land, enjoy of dew and drizzles added to enough rainfalls. They have such a beautiful view that attracts the attention of any visitor from the distance. They are also safe from the threat of floods.
Those who give their wealth in charity for the sake of Allah's pleasure and for strengthening Faith and certainty in their hearts and souls, are like this garden which have a bountiful valuable product.
"But the likeness of those who spend their property to seek the pleasure of Allah, and to strengthen their own souls, is as the likeness of a garden on a high ground, upon which a heavy rain falls and it yields its fruit two-fold; but if a heavy rain does not fall upon it, then a light rain (is sufficient); and Allah sees what you do." ***************
ÃóíóæóÏøõ ÃóÍóÏõßõãú Ãóä Êóßõæäó áóåõ ÌóäøóÉñ ãøöä äøóÎöíáò æóÃóÚúäóÇÈò ÊóÌúÑöí ãöä ÊóÍúÊöåóÇ ÇáÃóäúåóÇÑõ áóåõ ÝöíåóÇ ãöä ßõáøö ÇáËøóãóÑóÇÊö æóÃóÕóÇÈóåõ ÇáúßöÈóÑõ æóáóåõ ÐõÑøöíøóÉñ ÖõÚóÝóÇÁ ÝóÃóÕóÇÈóåóÇ ÅöÚúÕóÇÑñ Ýöíåö äóÇÑñ ÝóÇÍúÊóÑóÞóÊú ßóÐóáößó íõÈóíøöäõ Çááøåõ áóßõãõ ÇáÂíóÇÊö áóÚóáøóßõãú ÊóÊóÝóßøóÑõæäó {266} 266. "Would any of you like that there should be for him a garden of date palms and vines beneath which rivers flow with all kinds of fruit for him therein, while he is stricken with old age, and he has feeble offspring, then a whirlwind with fire in it strikes and it gets burnt up? Thus Allah makes the signs clear to you, so that you may ponder." Commentary: Another Similitude In this verse, the Qur'an expresses another interesting similitude to make manifest that how seriously man is in need of righteous deeds on the Judgement Day, and how hypocrisy, reproach and injury ruin the charities and good deeds of man.
This similitude illustrates the view of an old man who possesses a green, fresh and delightful garden with various trees such as date-palms, vines, etc. which are watered continuously and do not need to be irrigated. There are some lazy, careless and weak children around him whose means of earning life is the very garden. If this garden vanishes neither the old father nor the feeble children are able to re-establish it.
It happens that suddenly a fiery hurricane blows upon it and burns it totally dry. How does this old man feel when he has lost the strength of his youth, and who cannot earn his living from any other ways, while his children are feeble, too? And, what a deadly regret and grief may rush over him?
"Would any of you like that there should be for him a garden of date palms and vines beneath which rivers flow with all kinds of fruit for him therein, while he is stricken with old age, and he has feeble offspring, then a whirlwind with fire in it strikes and it gets burnt up? ..."
The condition of a person who does a righteous work and then ruins it by hypocrisy, reproach, and injury is similar to such an old man who has tolerated many tasks, but when he is in dire need of the fruit of his efforts, all of them as a whole vanishes and leaves him alone with his grieves and regrets.
In view of the fact that the source of all misfortunes, especially the foolish act of reproach, whose benefit is a little but the loss of it is soon and great, originates from the application of no wisdom, then, at the end of the verse, Allah invites people to contemplation and pondering. It says:
"...Thus Allah makes the signs clear to you, so that you may ponder."
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íóÇ ÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÂãóäõæÇú ÃóäÝöÞõæÇú ãöä ØóíøöÈóÇÊö ãóÇ ßóÓóÈúÊõãú æóãöãøóÇ ÃóÎúÑóÌúäóÇ áóßõã ãøöäó ÇáÃóÑúÖö æóáÇó ÊóíóãøóãõæÇú ÇáúÎóÈöíËó ãöäúåõ ÊõäÝöÞõæäó æóáóÓúÊõã ÈöÂÎöÐöíåö ÅöáÇøó Ãóä ÊõÛúãöÖõæÇú Ýöíåö æóÇÚúáóãõæÇú Ãóäøó Çááøåó Ûóäöíøñ ÍóãöíÏñ {267}
267. "O' you who have Faith! spend (in charity) of the good things that you have earned, and of what We produce for you from the earth, and do not aim at what is bad to spend thereof (in charity) while you yourselves would not accept it except that you connive at it, and know that Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy." The Occasion of Revelation: It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a) that this verse was revealed about a group of people who had earned some wealth from usury at the Age of Ignorance. They usually spent out from it in charity in the way of Allah. Allah prohibited them from that action and commanded them to spend out in charity from the good property they had earned.
In Majma'-ul-Bayan Fi Tafsir-il-Qur'an, next to narrating this tradition, it quotes from Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a) who said: "This verse has been revealed about those who used to mix the dry and bony dates with good dates when they wanted to spend in charity." [9] They were, therefore, commanded not to do that action.
These two occasions of revelation are never contradictory with each other. The verse may have been revealed upon both groups, when one of which is due to spiritual goodness and the other concerns to the appearance and material goodness.
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Commentary: What Kind of Property Can Be Given in Charity? In the previous verses, the effects of charity, the qualities of givers of charity, and the deeds that may corrupt this godly action and ruin its reward were pointed out. In this verse, the quality of the property, which is to be spent in charity, is explained. In the first phrase of the verse, Allah commands believing people to spend from good of their wealth.
"O' you who have Faith! Spend (in charity) of the good things that you have earned, and of what We produce for you from the earth..."
The term /tayyib/, the plural of which is /tayyibat/, in philology means: good, pleasant and agreeable'. This meaning refers to both spiritual and material purity; i.e. to be clean inwardly and outwardly. That is, that part of wealth might be given in charity that is good, useful, and valuable. It must be free from any dubiosity and pollution, either. The above mentioned occasions of revelation attest to the generality of this meaning, too.
The phrase: "...while you yourselves would not accept it except that you connive at it..." can not be taken as an evidence that the objective meaning here is exclusively outward of cleanliness, because the believing persons also might not accept the things which are apparently polluted, or worthless, as well as the doubtful and disapproved materials, but with conniving at it and dislike.
The Qur'anic phrase: /ma kasabtum/ 'that you have earned' refers to the commercial incomes, while the phrase: /mimma axrajna / 'what We produce' refers to the incomes earned from farming, mines and subterranean sources. Thus, it envelops all the kinds of income, because the source of all incomes of man is often from the earth and its different issues .Even, the origin of industries, trades, and the like of them all is the ground. However, this sentence indicates that all these merits are given you by Allah. Therefore, you ought not spare spending a part of it in charity in the way of Allah.
"...and do not aim at what is bad to spend thereof (in charity) while you yourselves would not accept it except that you connive at it..."
Some of people have the habit of spending out in charity mostly from the worthless and worn out things that they do not use any longer themselves. This kind of charities are neither effective in growing spiritual training of the essence of humanity in the giver of charity, nor is so useful to the needy. It can be counted sort of disgrace and scorn unto them, too.
This sentence explicitly prohibits Muslims from doing that. It says how they spend in charity from those things which they themselves do not like to accept, but hatefully. Must their Muslim brothers, and beyond that, the Lord, in Whose way they spend out in charity, be considered, in their view, lower than themselves?
Indeed, the verse points to a precise fact. It is that the charities given in the way of Allah have two ends. On one end there are the needy ones, and on the other end there is Allah, for Whose sake the charity is spent. In this case, if the charity is taken from the low and worthless things, from one hand, it is counted an aspersion to the high rank of the Lord that the giver of charity has not regarded Him eligible for a 'good' thing. On the other hand, it is a disgrace to the needy ones who, in spite of their poverty, mostly have a high level of faith and human hood, whose soul may be injured because of such a disagreeable charity.
By the way, it should be noted that the term /la tayammamu / 'do not aim' may be a hint to this fact that can be something of undemanded quality which inattentively is given among the material spent in charity. This aspect is hot involved in the contents of this statement. The statement is about those who intentionally accomplish it.
"...and know that Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy."
This sentence intends to say that you must be aware that the Lord in Whose way you spend in charity is the One Who never needs your charity, and Who is worthy of all praise. It is He Who has bestowed the whole bounties upon you.
The term /'hamid/, 'praiseworthy, may be used in the sense of 'adorer'; i.e., while He is Self-Sufficient, He adores the charities you spend. Therefore, do try to spend out from good things in charity.
Notes: [9] Majma'-ul- Bayan, Vol. 2, p. 380
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