2:266 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

وهذا المثل مضروب لمن عمل عملا لوجه الله تعالى من صدقة أو غيرها ثم عمل أعمالا تفسده، فمثله كمثل صاحب هذا البستان الذي فيه من كل الثمرات، وخص منها النخل والعنب لفضلهما وكثرة منافعهما، لكونهما غذاء وقوتا وفاكهة وحلوى، وتلك الجنة فيها الأنهار الجارية التي تسقيها من غير مؤنة، وكان صاحبها قد اغتبط بها وسرته، ثم إنه أصابه الكبر فضعف عن العمل وزاد حرصه، وكان له ذرية ضعفاء ما فيهم معاونة له، بل هم كل عليه، ونفقته ونفقتهم من تلك الجنة، فبينما هو كذلك إذ أصاب تلك الجنة إعصار وهو الريح القوية التي تستدير ثم ترتفع في الجو، وفي ذلك الإعصار نار فاحترقت تلك الجنة، فلا تسأل عما لقي ذلك الذي أصابه الكبر من الهم والغم والحزن، فلو قدر أن الحزن يقتل صاحبه لقتله الحزن، كذلك من عمل عملا لوجه الله فإن أعماله بمنزلة البذر للزروع والثمار، ولا يزال كذلك حتى يحصل له من عمله جنة موصوفة بغاية الحسن والبهاء، وتلك المفسدات التي تفسد الأعمال بمنزلة الإعصار الذي فيه نار، والعبد أحوج ما يكون لعمله إذا مات وكان بحالة لا يقدر معها على العمل، فيجد عمله الذي يؤمل نفعه هباء منثورا، ووجد الله عنده فوفاه حسابه. والله سريع الحساب فلو علم الإنسان وتصور هذه الحال وكان له أدنى مسكة من عقل لم يقدم على ما فيه مضرته ونهاية حسرته ولكن ضعف الإيمان والعقل وقلة البصيرة يصير صاحبه إلى هذه الحالة التي لو صدرت من مجنون لا يعقل لكان ذلك عظيما وخطره جسيما، فلهذا أمر تعالى بالتفكر وحثَّ عليه، فقال: { كذلك يبين الله لكم الآيات لعلكم تتفكرون

قال البخاري عند تفسير هذه الآية: حدثنا إبراهيم بن موسى حدثنا هشام هو ابن يوسف عن ابن جريج سمعت عبدالله بن أبي مليكة يحدث عن ابن عباس وسمعت أخاه أبا بكر بن أبي مليكة يحدث عن عبيد بن عمير قال: قال عمر بن الخطاب يوما لأصحاب النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فيمن ترون هذه الآية نزلت؟ "أيود أحدكم أن تكون له جنة من نخيل وأعناب" قالوا: الله أعلم فغضب عمر فقال: قولوا نعلم أو لا نعلم فقال ابن عباس: في نفسي منها شيء يا أمير المؤمنين فقال عمر: يا ابن أخي قل ولا تحقر نفسك فقال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ضربت مثلا بعمل قال عمر: أي عمل؟ قال ابن عباس لرجل غني يعمل بطاعة الله ثم بعث الله له الشيطان فعمل بالمعاصي حتى أغرق أعماله ثم رواه البخاري عن الحسن بن محمد الزعفراني عن حجاج بن محمد الأعور عن ابن جريج فذكره وهو من أفراد البخاري رحمه الله وفي هذا الحديث كفاية في تفسير هذه الآية وتبيين ما فيها من المثل بعمل من أحسن العمل أولا ثم بعد ذلك انعكس سيره فبدل الحسنات بالسيئات عياذا بالله من ذلك فأبطل بعمله الثاني ما أسلفه فيما تقدم من الصالح واحتاج إلى شيء من الأول في أضيق الأحوال فلم يحصل منه شيء وخانه أحوج ما كان إليه ولهذا قال تعالى "وأصابه الكبر وله ذرية ضعفاء فأصابها إعصار" وهو الريح الشديد "فيه نار فاحترقت" أي أحرق ثمارها وأباد أشجارها فأي حال يكون حاله؟ وقد روى ابن أبي حاتم من طريق العوفي عن ابن عباس قال: ضرب الله مثلا حسنا وكل أمثاله حسن قال "أيود أحدكم أن تكون له جنة من نخيل وأعناب تجري من تحتها الأنهار له فيها من كل الثمرات" يقول ضيعة في شيبته "وأصابه الكبر" وولده وذريته ضعاف عند آخر عمره فجاءه "إعصار فيه نار" فاحترق بستانه فلم يكن عنده قوة أن يغرس مثله ولم يكن عند نسله خير يعودون به عليه وكذلك الكافر يكون يوم القيامة إذ رد إلى الله عز وجل ليس له خير فيستعتب كما ليس لهذا قوة فيغرس مثل بستانه ولا يجده قدم لنفسه خيرا يعود عليه كما لم يغن عن هذا ولده وحرم أجره عند أفقر ما كان إليه حرم هذا جنته عندما كان أفقر ما كان إليها عند كره وضعف ذريته وهكذا روى الحاكم في مستدركه أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - كان يقول في دعائه اللهم اجعل أوسع رزقك علي عند كبر سني وانقضاء عمري ولهذا قال تعالى "كذلك يبين الله لكم الآيات لعلكم تتفكرون" أي تعتبرون وتفهمون الأمثال والمعاني وتنزلونها على المراد منها كما قال تعالى "وتلك الأمثال نضربها للناس وما يعقلها إلا العالمون".

The Example of Evil Deeds Nullifying Good Deeds

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas and `Ubayd bin `Umayr said that `Umar bin Al-Khattab asked the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "According to your opinion, about whom was this Ayah revealed,

أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ

(Would any of you wish to have a garden with date palms and vines...)."

They said, "Allah knows best." `Umar became angry and said, "Say we know or we do not know." Ibn `Abbas said, "O Leader of the Faithful! I have an opinion about it." `Umar said, "O my nephew! Say your opinion and do not belittle yourself." Ibn `Abbas said, "This is an example set for a deed." `Umar said, "What type of deed" Ibn `Abbas said, "For a wealthy man who works in Allah's pleasure and then Allah sends Shaytan to him, and he works in disobedience, until he annuls his good works."

This Hadith suffices as an explanation for the Ayah, for it explains the example it sets by a person who does good first and then follows it with evil, may Allah save us from this end. So, this man annulled his previous good works with his latter evil works. When he desperately needed the deeds of the former type, there were none. This is why Allah said,

وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَآءُ فَأَصَابَهَآ إِعْصَارٌ

(while he is striken with old age, and his children are weak (not able to look after themselves), then it is struck with a whirlwind) with heavy wind,

فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ

(that is fiery, so that it is burnt) meaning, its fruits were burnt and its trees were destroyed. Therefore, what will his condition be like

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah has set a good parable, and all His parables are good. He said,

أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَـرُ لَهُ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَتِ

(Would any of you wish to have a garden with date palms and vines, with rivers flowing underneath, and all kinds of fruits for him therein.)

But he lost all this in his old age,

وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ

(while he is striken with old age) while his offspring and children are weak just before the end of his life. Then a lightning storm came and destroyed his garden. Then he did not have the strength to grow another garden, nor did his offspring offer enough help. This is the condition of the disbeliever on the Day of Resurrection when he returns to Allah, for he will not have any good deeds to provide an excuse - or refuge - for him, just as the man in the parable had no strength to replant the garden. The disbeliever will not find anything to resort to for help, just as the offspring of the man in the parable did not provide him with help. So he will be deprived of his reward when he most needs it, just as the man in the parable was deprived of Allah's garden when he most needed it, when he became old and his offspring weak."

In his Mustadrak, Al-Hakim recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say in his supplication,

«اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ أَوْسَعَ رِزْقِكَ عَلَيَ عِنْدَ كِبَرِ سِنِّي وَانْقِضَاءِ عُمُرِي»

(O Allah! Make Your biggest provision for me when I am old in age and at the time my life ends.)

This is why Allah said,

كَذلِكَ يُبيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الآيَـتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

(Thus Allah makes clear to you His Laws in order that you may give thought) meaning, comprehend and understand the parables and their intended implications. Similarly, Allah said,

وَتِلْكَ الاٌّمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَآ إِلاَّ الْعَـلِمُونَ

(And these similitudes We put forward for mankind; but none will understand them except those who have knowledge (of Allah and His signs)) 29:43.

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ أَنفِقُواْ مِن طَيّبَـتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّآ أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مّنَ الاْرْضِ وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُواْ الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِأَخِذِيهِ إِلا أَن تُغْمِضُواْ فِيهِ وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ الشَّيْطَـنُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَآء وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مّنْهُ وَفَضْلاً وَاللَّهُ وسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

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.

In verse 266, the sixth under discussion, the statement, that صدقہ sadaqah can be rendered void and rejected if one acts against conditions set forth for the acceptance of charitable spendings, has been illustrated with yet another example. It was asked: Does anyone among you like that he owns a fruit farm, growing dates and grapes with streams flowing underneath, and trees laden with all sorts of fruits -- then comes old age for the owner and he has children and a family that can-not stand on their own. Under these conditions comes a whirlwind through the farm with fire in it and which burns the farm out. This is how Allah Almighty brings forth illustrative parallels so that you may think.

It means that spending in charity against given conditions is like hoping to be investing profusely in the Hereafter, but with Allah Almighty this investment comes to naught.

It may be noted that there are a series of qualifications added to this similitude-for instance, 'came his old age, he has children too and the children are young and weak.' These have a purpose. Isn't it that a person, if young, can look forward to having a new farm when his old farm burns out? Then, a person who has no children, and no hope to reactivate his burnt farm, he will not be so worried about his livelihood since a single man can get by even in adversity, one way or the other. Then there is the situation of one who has children, who are good and young with the hope that they would help the father out. In such a situation, a person is not that shocked even if his farm is burnt or plundered since he is free of the needs of his adult children who can themselves carry him through. In short, these three riding restrictions were introduced to describe the intensity of need when it was said that a person who spent his capital and labour and set up a fruit farm; the farm became ready and started yielding fruit as well. In this condition, came his old age and the days of weakness. Now this person has children and family. The children are very young and weak. Under these circumstances, should the farm he groomed burn out, his shock would be severe and the pain caused would be limitless.

Similarly one who has given his charity with hypocrisy is as if he set up a farm. Then came death after which his condition became equal to that of the old man who cannot earn his living and cannot set up the farm all over again. This is because human deeds cease to be after death. Similarly, an old man with children and family needs that his previous earnings be safe so that they can be used during old age. If, in this condition, his farm and his belongings burn out, there will be no limit to his pain and distress. Very much like this, the صدقہ sadaqah and khayrat خیرات ، the spendings in charity, which were made hypocritically or for self-promotion, will not come to help him exactly when he would need them most.

Summarising this whole verse, it could be said that ikhlas اخلاص or sincerity is one big condition governing the acceptance of صدقہ sadaqah and khayrat خیرات with Allah. This sincerity means that one should spend exclusively for the good pleasure of Allah Almighty without any admixture of self-promoting ends.

Now let us look at all the verses in this whole section once again. We shall discover that there are six conditions governing the acceptance, in the sight of Allah, of spendings in His way (صدقہ sadaqah صدقہ and khayrat خیرات ). These are:

1. Spend from halal حلال belongings.

2. Spend according to the prescribed practice (Sunnah).

3. Spend in proper place.

4. Do not remind of favour after having done it.

5. Do nothing to insult the receiver.

6. Spend with sincerity of intention, exclusively for the good pleasure of Allah Almighty, never doing it for the sake of name and fame.

The second condition, that is, spending according to Sunnah, means that one should be careful while spending in the way of Allah that rights due to someone may not be usurped. This is no act of thawab ثواب (reward) that one indulges in sadaqah صدقہ and khayrat خیرات (charity) by stopping or limiting the necessary expenses on his family without their assent. Depriving the needy inheritors and bequeathing the whole inheritance or giving out everything in sadaqah صدقہ and khayrat خیرات is against the teachings of Sunnah.

Then there are a thousand forms of spending in the way of Allah. The sunnah method requires that the place to spend must be selected carefully giving thought to involved factors of importance, need, urgency etc. Usually people who spend do not bring these into consideration.

The essence of the third condition is that spending at a place or in a cause with even good intention is not good enough. This will not suffice to make it an act of thawab ثواب . It is also necessary that the place or cause of spending should be permissible and commendable in the sight of the Shari'ah. If a person was to bequeath his property for impermissible games and amusements he would be deserving of ` adhab عذاب (punishment) rather than thawab ثواب (reward). This holds good for all other possible avenues of investment which are not desirable in the view of the Shari'ah.