Surah Al-Baqarah — Verse 269

Allah grants the ability to whomever of His servants He wishes to be steadfast in their statements and actions. Anyone who is given this ability has been given much good. However, only those with sound minds, that seek enlightenment through His light, and guidance from His guidance, will pay attention and benefit from the signs of Allah.

O you who believe! Spend of the good things which you have (legally) earned, and of that which We have produced from the earth for you, and do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it, (though) you would not accept it save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein. And know that Allah is Rich (free of all needs), and worthy of all praise (267)Shaytan threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha' (evil deeds) whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower (268)He grants Hikmah to whom He wills, and he, to whom Hikmah is granted, is indeed granted abundant good. But none remember (will receive admonition) except men of understanding (269)

Allah commands His believing servants to spend in charity, as Ibn 'Abbas stated, from the pure, honest money that they earned and from the fruits and vegetables that He has grown for them in the land. Ibn 'Abbas said, "Allah commanded them to spend from the purest, finest and best types of their money and prohibited spending from evil and dishonest money, because Allah is pure and good and only accepts that which is pure and good." This is why Allah said,

وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ

(and do not aim at that which is bad) meaning, filthy (impure) money,

مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِآخِذِيهِ

(to spend from it, (though) you would not accept it) meaning, "If you were given this type, you would not take it, except if you tolerate the deficiency in it. Verily, Allah is far Richer than you, He is in no need of this money, so do not give, for His sake, what you would dislike for yourselves." It was reported that,

وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ

(and do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it) means, "Do not spend from the dishonest, impure money instead of the honest, pure money."

Ibn Jarir recorded that Al-Bara' bin 'Azib commented on Allah's statement,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّا أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ 

(O you who believe! Spend of the good things which you have (legally) earned, and of that which We have produced from the earth for you, and do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it,) that it was revealed about the Ansar. When the season for harvesting date-trees would start, the Ansar would collect ripe-date branches from their gardens and hang them on a rope erected between two pillars in the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah. The poor emigrant Companions would eat from these dates. However, some of them (Ansar) would also add lesser type of dates in between ripe-date branches, thinking they are allowed to do so. Allah revealed this Ayah about those who did this,

وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ

(and do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it.)

Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn 'Abbas commented on the Ayah,

وَلَسْتُم بِآخِذِيهِ إِلَّا أَن تُغْمِضُوا فِيهِ

(you would not accept it save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein) means, "If you had a right on someone who would pay you less than what you gave them, you would not agree until you require more from them to make up the difference. This is why Allah said,

إِلَّا أَن تُغْمِضُوا فِيهِ

(save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein) meaning, 'How do you agree for Me what you do not agree for yourselves, while I have a right to the best and most precious of your possessions?" Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir recorded this Hadith and Ibn Jarir added, "And this is the meaning of Allah's statement,

لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ

(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr, unless you spend of that which you love)" [4:92]

Allah said next,

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ

(And know that Allah is Rich (free of all needs), and worthy of all praise) meaning, "Although Allah commanded you to give away the purest of your money in charity, He is far Richer from needing your charity, but the purpose is that the distance between the rich and the poor becomes less." Similarly, Allah said,

لَن يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَٰكِن يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ

(It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him)[22:37].

Allah is Rich and free of needing anything from any of His creatures, while all of His creatures stand in need of Him. Allah's bounty encompassing, and what He has never ends. Therefore, whoever gives away good and pure things in charity, let him know that Allah is the Most Rich, His favor is enormous and He is Most Generous, Most Compassionate; and He shall reward him for his charity and multiply it many times. So who would lend to He Who is neither poor nor unjust, Who is worthy of all praise in all His actions, statements, and decisions, of Whom there is neither a deity worthy of worship except Him, nor a Lord other than Him?

Allah said,

الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

(Shaytan threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha'; whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower.)

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

إِنَّ لِلشَّيْطَانِ لَمَّةً بِابْنِ آدَمَ، وَلِلْمَلَكِ لَمَّةً، فَأَمَّا لَمَّةُ الشَّيطَانِ فَإِيعَادٌ بِالشَّرِّ، وَتَكْذِيبٌ بِالْحَقِّ، وَ أَمَّا لَمَّةُ الْمَلَكِ فَإِيعَادٌ بِالْخَيْرِ، وَتَصْدِيقٌ بِالْحَقِّ، فَمَنْ وَجَدَ ذَلِكَ فَلْيَعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ مِنَ اللهِ، فَلْيَحْمَدِ اللهَ، وَمَنْ وَجَدَ الْأُخْرَى فَلْيَتَعَوَّذْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ

(Shaytan has an effect on the son of Adam, and the angel also has an effect. As for the effect of Shaytan, it is by his threatening with evil repercussions and rejecting the truth. As for the effect of the angel, it is by his promise of a good end and believing in the truth. Whoever finds the latter, let him know that it is coming from Allah and let him thank Allah for it. Whoever finds the former, let him seek refuge - with Allah - from Shaytan.)

The Prophet ﷺ then recited,

الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا

(Shaytan threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha'; whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty)

This is the narration that At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i collected in the book of Tafsir in their Sunan collections. Allah said,

الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ

(Shaytan threatens you with poverty), so that you hold on to whatever you have and refrain from spending it in Allah's pleasure.

وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ

(And orders you to commit Fahsha'), meaning, "Shaytan forbids you from spending in charity because of the false fear of becoming poor, and he encourages evil deeds, sins, indulging in what is prohibited, and immoral conduct." Allah said,

وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ

(Whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself) instead of the evil that Shaytan enjoins on you,

وَفَضْلًا 

(And Bounty) as opposed to the poverty that Shaytan frightens you with,

وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

(And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower.)

Allah said,

يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَاءُ

(He grants Hikmah to whom He wills.)

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, "That is knowledge of the Qur'an. For instance, the abrogating and the abrogated, what is plain and clear and what is not as plain and clear, what it allows, and what it does not allow, and its parables." Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Mas'ud said that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying,

لَا حَسَدَ إِلَّا فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ: رَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللهُ مَالًا فَسَلَّطَهُ عَلَى هَلَكَتِهِ فِي الْحَقِّ، وَرَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللهُ حِكْمَةً فَهُوَ يَقْضِي بِهَا وَيُعَلِّمُهَا

(There is no envy except in two instances: a person whom Allah has endowed with wealth and he spends it righteously, and a person whom Allah has given Hikmah and he judges by it and teaches it to others.)

This was also collected by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah.

Allah's statement,

وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

(But none remember (will receive admonition) except men of understanding.) means, "Those who will benefit from the advice are those who have sound minds and good comprehension with which they understand the words (of advice and reminder) and their implications."

Al-Hikmah: Meaning and Explanation

(3). Verse 269 يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَاءُ : "He gives wisdom to whom He wills." The word, الْحِكْمَةَ (al-hikmah: wisdom) appears repeatedly in the Holy Qur'an, and at every place, its meaning has been explained differently. In Tafsir al-Bahr al-Muhit البحر المحیط ، all positions taken by commentators have been assembled at this point. These come to nearly thirty, however, towards the end it was said that all these positions are close together and there is no contradiction among them. The only difference is that of interpretations. The word, hikmah حِكْمَةَ is the verbal noun of 'ihkam الاحکام (the first letter, hamzah ھمزہ with kasrah کسرہ ) which means 'to complete what is said or done with all its properties and requisites.'

This is why the verse وَآتَاهُ اللَّـهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ : 'And Allah gave him the kingdom and the hikmah حکمہ ' (2:251) which concerns Sayyidna Dawud (علیہ السلام) ، was explained in al-Bahr al-Muhit in the following manner:

The real meaning of hikmah حکمہ is to place everything whereto it be-longs and this can only be accomplished ideally through prophethood. Therefore, hikmah حکمہ has been interpreted as prophethood here.

Imam Raghib al-Isfahani has said in Mufradat al-Qur'an: مفردات القرآن "When the word, hikmah حکمہ is used for Allah Almighty, it denotes the comprehensive knowledge and solid creative excellence of all things; and when attributed to the non-Divine, it means the rightly-guided knowledge of what exists, and the action which corresponds to it.

This sense has been interpreted in different words. Somewhere it means, the Qur'an; elsewhere, the Hadith. Then at different places, it carries different meanings, such as "the authentic knowledge", "the righteous deed", "the True Word", "the wisdom", "the understanding of religion", "correctness of opinion" and "the fear of Allah". Incidentally, the last meaning appears in Hadith as well: راس الحکمہ خشیۃ اللہ that is, "the real wisdom is the fear of Allah". The word, hikmah in the verse يُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ (teaches them the Book and the wisdom - 3:164) has been explained as "Hadith and Sunnah" by the Sahabah ؓ and the Tabi` in (the Companions and the Successors). Some commentators hold the opinion that hikmah in the verse یوتَ الحکمہ (whoever is given wisdom) under discussion covers all these things.

This is the more evident view; more so, since the words of the Qur'an وَمَن يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرً‌ا كَثِيرً‌ا "And whoever is given wisdom is certainly given a lot of good" do hint in that direction as they mean that the hikmah حِكْمَةَ covers a lot of good. Allah knows best.

One who spends his money for the sake of God in the way that He has commanded him to do, proves that he has been blessed with wisdom. Wisdom here means knowledge and understanding of the Quran. The biggest folly is to be so enamoured of one’s wealth that one fails to spend for the cause of God, and the greatest wisdom lies in recognizing that monetary interests do not present any obstacle to one’s engaging oneself in God’s work. One should consider God’s cause as one’s own. One who lives within the cocoon of personal interests and considerations cannot possess the insight which would enable him to see higher realities and experience higher states of consciousness. On the contrary, one who goes ahead towards God by ignoring all personal considerations raises himself above all limitations. His consciousness reaches the divine level of God, who is independent (free from all wants), praiseworthy, all-sufficient, and wise. Man is thus enabled to see things as they are. For he goes beyond the limitations which serve as obstacles to seeing things in their true form. However true any argument may be, its truth dawns upon one only when one can see it with an open mind.