Tafsir as-Saadi (تيسير الكريم الرحمن في تفسير كلام المنان) — Page 144

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

أَيْ: الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ وَسَبِيلِهِ، وَلَا يُتْبِعُونَهَا بِمَا يُنْقِصُهَا وَيُفْسِدُهَا مِنَ الْمَنِّ بِهَا عَلَى الْمُنْفَقِ عَلَيْهِ بِالْقَلْبِ أَوْ بِاللِّسَانِ، بِأَنْ يُعَدِّدَ عَلَيْهِ إِحْسَانَهُ وَيَطْلُبَ مِنْهُ مُقَابَلَتَهُ، وَلَا أَذِيَّةَ لَهُ قَوْلِيَّةً أَوْ فِعْلِيَّةً، فَهَؤُلَاءِ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمُ اللَّائِقُ بِهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ فَحَصَلَ لَهُمُ الْخَيْرُ وَانْدَفَعَ عَنْهُمُ الشَّرُّ لِأَنَّهُمْ عَمِلُوا عَمَلًا خَالِصًا لِلَّهِ سَالِمًا مِنَ الْمُفْسِدَاتِ.

(from previous page) ⟵ Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and then do not follow up what they have spent with reminders of their generosity or harm - they will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will be upon them, nor will they grieve. A kind word and forgiveness are better than charity followed by harm. And Allah is Self-Sufficient, Forbearing. That is: those who spend their wealth in obedience to Allah and in His way, and do not follow it with what diminishes and corrupts it, such as reminding the recipient of their generosity, whether in their heart or with their tongue, by enumerating their good deeds to him and demanding recompense from him, and no verbal or physical harm to him. These will have their appropriate reward, and no fear will be upon them, nor will they grieve. Thus, good has come to them, and evil has been repelled from them because they performed a deed purely for Allah, free from corrupting influences.

{قَوْلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ} أَيْ: تَعْرِفُهُ الْقُلُوبُ وَلَا تُنْكِرُهُ، وَيَدْخُلُ فِي ذَلِكَ كُلُّ قَوْلٍ كَرِيمٍ فِيهِ إِدْخَالُ السُّرُورِ عَلَى قَلْبِ الْمُسْلِمِ، وَيَدْخُلُ فِيهِ رَدُّ السَّائِلِ بِالْقَوْلِ الْجَمِيلِ وَالدُّعَاءِ لَهُ {وَمَغْفِرَةٌ لِمَنْ أَسَاءَ إِلَيْكَ بِتَرْكِ مُؤَاخَذَتِهِ وَالْعَفْوِ عَنْهُ، وَيَدْخُلُ فِيهِ الْعَفْوُ عَمَّا يَصْدُرُ مِنَ السَّائِلِ مِمَّا لَا يَنْبَغِي، فَالْقَوْلُ الْمَعْرُوفُ وَالْمَغْفِرَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ الَّتِي يَتْبَعُهَا أَذًى، لِأَنَّ الْقَوْلَ الْمَعْرُوفَ إِحْسَانٌ قَوْلِيٌّ وَالْمَغْفِرَةَ إِحْسَانٌ أَيْضًا بِتَرْكِ الْمُؤَاخَذَةِ، وَكِلَاهُمَا إِحْسَانٌ مَا فِيهِ مُفْسِدٌ، فَهُمَا أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْإِحْسَانِ بِالصَّدَقَةِ الَّتِي يَتْبَعُهَا أَذًى بِمَنٍّ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ، وَمَفْهُومُ الْآيَةِ أَنَّ الصَّدَقَةَ الَّتِي لَا يَتْبَعُهَا أَذًى أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ الْمَعْرُوفِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ الْمَنُّ بِالصَّدَقَةِ مُفْسِدًا لَهَا مُحَرَّمًا، لِأَنَّ الْمِنَّةَ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى وَحْدَهُ، وَالْإِحْسَانَ كُلَّهُ لِلَّهِ فَالْعَبْدُ لَا يَمُنُّ بِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ وَإِحْسَانِهِ وَفَضْلِهِ وَهُوَ لَيْسَ مِنْهُ، وَأَيْضًا فَإِنَّ الْمَانَّ مُسْتَعِيدٌ لِمَنْ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْهِ، وَالذُّلَّ وَالِاسْتِعْبَادَ لَا يَنْبَغِي إِلَّا لِلَّهِ وَاللَّهُ غَنِيٌّ بِذَاتِهِ عَنْ جَمِيعِ مَخْلُوقَاتِهِ، وَكُلُّهَا مُفْتَقِرَةٌ إِلَيْهِ بِالذَّاتِ فِي جَمِيعِ الْحَالَاتِ وَالْأَوْقَاتِ فَصَدَقَاتُكُمْ وَإِنْفَاقُكُمْ وَطَاعَاتُكُمْ يَعُودُ مَصْلَحَتُهَا إِلَيْكُمْ وَنَفْعُهَا إِلَيْكُمْ، وَاللَّهُ غَنِيٌّ عَنْهَا، وَمَعَ هَذَا فَهُوَ حَلِيمٌ عَلَى مَنْ عَصَاهُ لَا يُعَاجِلُهُ بِعُقُوبَةٍ مَعَ قُدْرَتِهِ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَكِنْ رَحْمَتُهُ وَإِحْسَانُهُ وَحِلْمُهُ يَمْنَعُهُ مِنْ مُعَاجَلَتِهِ لِلْعَاصِينَ، بَلْ يُمْهِلُهُمْ وَيُصَرِّفُ لَهُمُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَيُنِيبُونَ إِلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا عَلِمَ تَعَالَى أَنَّهُ لَا خَيْرَ فِيهِمْ وَلَا تُغْنِي عَنْهُمُ الْآيَاتُ وَلَا تُفِيدُ بِهِمُ الْمَثُلَاتُ أَنْزَلَ بِهِمْ عِقَابَهُ وَحَرَمَهُمْ جَزِيلَ ثَوَابِهِ.

“Kind speech” means words that the heart recognizes and accepts. This includes every noble word that brings joy to a Muslim’s heart, as well as responding to a beggar with gentle words and a prayer for him. “Forgiveness for him who wrongs you” means not holding him accountable and pardoning him, which also includes overlooking any inappropriate behavior from a beggar. Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by harm, because kind speech is a form of verbal kindness, and forgiveness is a form of kindness through restraint. Both are acts of kindness free from corruption, making them superior to charity that is marred by reminders of the favor or other harms. The verse implies that charity not followed by harm is better than kind speech and forgiveness. Reminding someone of a favor is corrupting and forbidden because all favor belongs to Allah alone, and all kindness comes from Him; a servant should not claim credit for Allah’s blessings, grace, and generosity. Furthermore, the person who reminds others of their favors seeks to enslave them, yet humiliation and servitude are due only to Allah. Allah is self-sufficient, independent of all His creation, while all creatures are inherently dependent on Him at all times. Your charity, spending, and acts of obedience benefit only you; Allah has no need of them. Despite this, He is forbearing toward those who disobey Him, not rushing to punish them despite His power to do so. His mercy, kindness, and forbearance hold Him back from hastening their punishment. Instead, He gives them respite and shows them signs, hoping they might return to Him and repent. If Allah knows there is no good in them, and that neither signs nor warnings will avail them, He sends down His punishment and denies them His abundant reward.

264 {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُمْ بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَى كَالَّذِي يُنْفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْدًا لَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ}

264 “O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders of your favor or by causing injury, like one who spends his wealth only to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like a smooth rock covered with dust; a heavy rain strikes it, leaving it bare. They will be unable to achieve anything from what they have earned. Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.”

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Vocabulary · المفردات (57 verbs · 72 nouns)

• أَنْفَقَ — to spend
• أَتْبَعَ — to follow up
• أَنْقَصَ — to diminish
• مَال — wealth
• طَاعَة — obedience
• سَبِيل — way