2. Al-Baqara

Every act committed by man is like a seed planted in the ground. If one does something in order to be admired by others, it is as though one is planting a seed in the earth of this world. If, on the other hand, one acts in order to please God, then one has sown a seed in the everlasting fields of the Hereafter, where it will blossom and bear fruit. In this world, one seed produces a thousand grains of corn. Likewise in the harvest of the Hereafter, man will reap rewards far in excess of what he has sown.

One who spends his wealth in order to gain worldly fame and prestige, and who seeks to be recompensed in this ephemeral world, will have no share in the rewards of the life everlasting. Those who spend for the cause of God, on the other hand, adopt a different approach. They do not, for one, taunt their beneficiaries with reminders of the favours they have bestowed. Indeed, having spent from their wealth for the cause of God, they do not consider themselves to have bestowed any favour at all upon anyone. And they do not show any displeasure if a gracious response is not forthcoming from those to whom they have been generous. This is because their hopes are pinned on being rewarded in full by God, so what do they care if human beings show appreciation or not? Moreover, if they are unable to accede to a request for monetary assistance, at least they do not rebuff the suppliant. Instead, they find kind words with which to excuse themselves, for they know that God hears everything they say. Their fear of God makes them circumspect in the choice of words they utter to their fellow human beings.

Some soil (earth) may collect on the surface of a boulder. Outwardly, it appears as though this is good, fertile soil, but when a gust of wind brings a rain-shower down upon it, then the earth is washed away, leaving the rock exposed to the elements. The same is true of one who has donned a superficial robe of piety, without that piety having permeated his entire being. Should he be addressed rudely by someone asking for financial help, or should his ego receive a wounding blow, he becomes so irritated that he exceeds all bounds of decency in his response. Incidents of this nature are like the showers of rain which wash away his outward garb of piety, leaving his true nature exposed to the outside world. To do things for God’s sake, is to give priority to the invisible over the visible world. It is to set one’s sights on an unseen world, over and above the world which meets the eye. This requires a loftiness of vision. Those who show such sublimity of vision have the door of God’s realization opened to them.

Some soil (earth) may collect on the surface of a boulder. Outwardly, it appears as though this is good, fertile soil, but when a gust of wind brings a rain-shower down upon it, then the earth is washed away, leaving the rock exposed to the elements. The same is true of one who has donned a superficial robe of piety, without that piety having permeated his entire being. Should he be addressed rudely by someone asking for financial help, or should his ego receive a wounding blow, he becomes so irritated that he exceeds all bounds of decency in his response. Incidents of this nature are like the showers of rain which wash away his outward garb of piety, leaving his true nature exposed to the outside world. To do things for God’s sake, is to give priority to the invisible over the visible world. It is to set one’s sights on an unseen world, over and above the world which meets the eye. This requires a loftiness of vision. Those who show such sublimity of vision have the door of God’s realization opened to them.

If an individual has some goal in mind, his own striving towards the attainment of that goal further strengthens his will-power and increases the mental resolve which enables him to reach his objective. Should it be the objects of his own desires towards which his efforts are directed, then the more he exerts himself, the more he will set his heart on them. However, should it be the will of God that holds pride of place in determining his actions, then it will be God on whom his heart is set. One acts at all events under conditions which are sometimes difficult and sometimes comparatively easy. But the more difficult the conditions one encounters, the greater will be the increase in one’s will-power and the stronger one’s connection to that on which one’s heart is set. One who spends for the cause of God under normal conditions will certainly have his reward from God. However, when spending for God’s cause is done in adverse circumstances, which call for a special exercise of will-power, the reward which God grants on such occasions will be commensurately greater. For instance, if the outlay of one’s wealth is done on something from which no worldly benefit will be forthcoming, then in that case it is done solely for the sake of God. Then one may have to give to a person to whom one would rather not give anything. Again it is done just to please God. One may have a grudge against someone, yet one still extends to him the hand of friendship. All these acts strengthen one’s bond with the Lord, opening the way to His special grace and succour.

When an individual plants an orchard in his youth, he does so in the hope that he will enjoy its fruits when he grows old. How unfortunate, then, is one who sees his beautiful orchard reduced to rubble towards the end of his days, just when he stands in greatest need of it. Now time has run out on him and he has no chance of nurturing new saplings. This is exactly what will happen to those who engage themselves in a religious cause, purely out of lust for worldly prestige and profit. Outwardly, they appear to be engaged in pious works, but it is only in their form that their actions differ from those of the run-of-the-mill materialists of this world. In reality, there is no difference between the two types of people. Normally, people seeking worldly fame and prestige, choose worldly means of attaining their goals, whereas hypocritical people choose religious means of advancement towards the same worldly ends. All are aiming at the same mundane goals; only the ways in which they go about achieving them are different. People guided by worldly motives in all their actions will find no reward awaiting them in the Hereafter. God’s signs take an abtruse form. Only those who cultivate in themselves a capacity for reflection are able to decipher these signs and, through them, come to know God.

There are two ways of spending one’s earnings in this world. One is to spend in ways shown by Satan. Another is to spend in ways shown by God. What Satan does is to impress on the minds of human beings the importance of personal requirements, and bring about conviction that all their earnings are best spent on personal comforts and luxuries. When Satan sees that any individual has more wealth than is necessary for his personal needs, he kindles in him another desire, that of indulging in showy activities. At the instigation of Satan, man spends all his money on ostentatious living and feels happy that he has spent his money in the best possible way. What is desired of man is that he should not regard his wealth as his personal possession but rather as something that belongs only to God. He should spend as much of his wealth as is necessary for his actual needs and the rest he should spend on achieving higher goals. He should give this surplus wealth to the weaker of God’s servants and also spend for the cause of God’s religion. When he spends for the weaker section of society, he hopes that in the Hereafter, when he appears empty-handed before God, he will not be deprived of God’s blessings. Similarly, when he spends his wealth for the cause of God’s religion, he allies himself with God’s mission.

There are two ways of spending one’s earnings in this world. One is to spend in ways shown by Satan. Another is to spend in ways shown by God. What Satan does is to impress on the minds of human beings the importance of personal requirements, and bring about conviction that all their earnings are best spent on personal comforts and luxuries. When Satan sees that any individual has more wealth than is necessary for his personal needs, he kindles in him another desire, that of indulging in showy activities. At the instigation of Satan, man spends all his money on ostentatious living and feels happy that he has spent his money in the best possible way. What is desired of man is that he should not regard his wealth as his personal possession but rather as something that belongs only to God. He should spend as much of his wealth as is necessary for his actual needs and the rest he should spend on achieving higher goals. He should give this surplus wealth to the weaker of God’s servants and also spend for the cause of God’s religion. When he spends for the weaker section of society, he hopes that in the Hereafter, when he appears empty-handed before God, he will not be deprived of God’s blessings. Similarly, when he spends his wealth for the cause of God’s religion, he allies himself with God’s mission.

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.