O Muslims - 8

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpts from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

264. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tubtiloo sadaqatikum bialmanni waal-atha kaallathee yunfiqu malahu ri-aa alnnasi wala yu/minu biAllahi waalyawmi al-akhiri famathaluhu kamathali safwanin AAalayhi turabun faasabahu wabilun fatarakahu saldan la yaqdiroona AAala shay-in mimma kasaboo waAllahu la yahdee alqawma alkafireena

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2:264. O you believers! Make not your offerings of obligatory charity null and void with boastfulness/bragging and insult, like he who spends his wealth only to show off to people and who believes neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. His simile is like a barren rock covered with soil; then a heavy shower of rain lashes it and leaves it bare. Such people can do nothing with what they have earned.⁴⁹⁹ And Allah does not guide the people who suppress the Truth!

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499. Offerings of such people to needy persons is compared here to soil covering a barren rock. Just like the soil getting washed away by a heavy draught of rain, leaving the barren rock useless for growing any agricultural product, the offerings of such people are useless for getting them any reward from Allah.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 3^rd of April 2020.

In Allah's Path

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from Chapter 2 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir:

262. Allatheena yunfiqoona amwalahum fee sabeeli Allahi thumma la yutbiAAoona ma anfaqoo mannan wala athan lahum ajruhum AAinda rabbihim wala khawfun AAalayhim wala hum yahzanoona

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262. Those who spend their worldly possessions in Allah's path and follow not what they spend with boastfulness and insult – for them is their reward with their Lord; they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.^{494, 495}

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494. It is often the case with human beings that if they give something to a needy person, their behaviour with that person would be such as to make that person feel burdened with their favours. They will go on, on some pretext or the other, reminding him of their charity. They may even insult and speak harshly to him. Allah condemns such behaviour and makes their charity ineligible for any reward from Him.

495. The Qur'aanic statement falaa khaufun ualayhim walaa hum yahuzanoon (they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve) has been repeated in several Verses while speaking of

·         those who spend their property by night and by day, secretly and openly (2:274),

·         those who believe and do good deeds and keep up prayer and give charity (2:277),

·         those who believe in Allah and the last day and do good (5:69),

·         the friends of Allah (10:62),

·         those who say, Our Lord is Allah, then they continue on the right way (46:13).

Actually, any group of persons described by any one of the above attributes, do inherently also have all the other attributes mentioned. These are the people whose minds are at peace, whatever be their momentary situations, good or bad, in this worldly life.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 15^th of September 2017.