2. Al-Baqara

The likeness of the quality of the expenditure of those who expend their wealth in the way of God that is in obedience of Him is as the likeness of a grain of corn that sprouts seven ears in every ear a hundred grains likewise what they expend will be multiplied seven hundred times; so God multiplies even more than this for whom He will; God is Embracing in His bounty Knowing those who deserve such multiplications.

Those who expend their wealth in the way of God then do not follow up their expenditure with reminder of their generosity of the one on whom they expended for example by saying ‘I was good to him and restored his affairs’; and injury to that person by mentioning this to people whom he would prefer not to know about it; their wage the reward for their expenditure is with their Lord and no fear shall befall them neither shall they grieve in the Hereafter.

Honourable words kind talk and a generous reply to the beggar and forgiveness towards him for his persistence are better than a voluntary almsgiving followed by injury through reproach and deriding him for his begging; and God is Independent of the voluntary almsgiving of His servants Forbearing in His delaying the punishment of the reproachful and injurious one.

O you who believe annul not the rewards of your voluntary almsgivings with reproach and injury as in the manner of the annulment of the expenditure of one who expends of his substance to show off to men and believes not in God and the Last Day this is the hypocrite. The likeness of him is as the likeness of a smooth rock on which is soil and a torrent of intense rain smites it and leaves it barren and smooth with nothing on it. They have no power lā yaqdirūna is a resumption of the statement about the likeness of the one that expends for show; the person becomes plural on account of the potential plural implication of alladhī ‘the one who’ over anything that they have earned that they did in other words they find no reward for it in the Hereafter just as one finds nothing of the dust that was on the surface of the smooth rock after the rain has washed it away. God guides not the disbelieving folk.

But the likeness of the expenditure of those who expend their wealth seeking God’s good pleasure and to confirm themselves that is to realise the reward thereof in contrast to the hypocrites who do not hope for it since they do not believe in it is as the likeness of a garden an orchard upon a hill read rabwa or rubwa a high ground; a torrent smites it and it yields gives forth its produce read ukulahā or uklahā its fruits twofold twice the fruits of another garden; if no torrent smites it then dew tall a light drizzle which falls on it and suffices it on account of its altitude. In other words it grows and bears fruit regardless of how much rain falls; likewise are the expenditures of those mentioned they will increase with God regardless of how much they were; and God sees what you do and He will requite you for it.

Would any of you wish to have a garden an orchard of date-palms and vines with rivers flowing beneath it for him there is in it all manner of fruit then old age smites him and makes him too weak to profit from it and he has seed but they are weak young children who cannot manage it; then a whirlwind i‘sār are violent winds with fire smites it and it is consumed? so that he loses what he is most in need of and now he and his children have become incapacitated confused without any resources. This is a similitude of how the expenditure of the one expending for show or the one who reproaches after having expended vanishes and how it is of no avail when he will be most in need of it in the Hereafter the interrogative a-yawaddu ‘would any wish’ is intended as a denial. According to Ibn ‘Abbās this is the person who performs deeds of obedience but when Satan comes to him he begins to work disobedience until all his good deeds have been consumed. So in the way that He has explained what has been mentioned God makes clear the signs to you so that you might reflect and take heed.

O you who believe expend of that is to say purify the good things you have earned of property and the good things of what We have produced for you from the earth of grains and fruits and seek not lā tayammamū means lā taqsudū the corrupt the vile of it the above-mentioned for your expending it as alms tunfiqūna ‘you expend’ is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the person of the verb tayammamū ‘seek’; for you would never take it the vile part yourselves if you were given it as something due to you; without closing your eyes to it by being careless and mindless so how do you expect to give what is due to God from this?; and know that God is Independent of your expenditures Laudable praised in every situation.

Satan promises you poverty by making you fear loss when you make a voluntary almsgiving and so you withhold it and enjoins you to indecency niggardliness and the impeding of almsgiving; but God promises you in return for your expenditure His pardon for your sins and His bounty as sustenance from Him; and God is Embracing in His bounty Knowing the one who expends.

And whatever expenditure you expend be it as alms or a voluntary almsgiving and whatever vow you make and fulfil surely God knows it and will requite you for it. For the evildoers who prevent almsgiving and vows or expend other than the way they should in disobedience to God they have no helpers to protect them from His chastisement.