2:267 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

يأمر تعالى عباده المؤمنين بالنفقة من طيبات ما يسر لهم من المكاسب، ومما أخرج لهم من الأرض فكما منَّ عليكم بتسهيل تحصيله فأنفقوا منه شكرا لله وأداء لبعض حقوق إخوانكم عليكم، وتطهيرا لأموالكم، واقصدوا في تلك النفقة الطيب الذي تحبونه لأنفسكم، ولا تيمموا الرديء الذي لا ترغبونه ولا تأخذونه إلا على وجه الإغماض والمسامحة { واعلموا أن الله غني حميد } فهو غني عنكم ونفع صدقاتكم وأعمالكم عائد إليكم، ومع هذا فهو حميد على ما يأمركم به من الأوامر الحميدة والخصال السديدة، فعليكم أن تمتثلوا أوامره لأنها قوت القلوب وحياة النفوس ونعيم الأرواح

يأمر تعالى عباده المؤمنين بالإنفاق والمراد به الصدقة ههنا قاله ابن عباس من طيبات ما رزقهم من الأموال التي اكتسبوها قال مجاهد: يعني التجارة بتيسيره إياها لهم وقال علي والسدي "من طيبات ما كسبتم" يعني الذهب والفضة ومن الثمار والزروع التي أنبتها لهم من الأرض قال ابن عباس أمرهم بالإنفاق من أطيب المال وأجوده وأنفسه ونهاهم عن التصدق برذالة المال ودنيئه وهو خبيثه فإن الله طيب لا يقبل إلا طيبا ولهذا قال "ولا تيمموا الخبيث" أي تقصدوا الخبيث "منه تنفقون ولستم بآخذيه" أي لو أعطيتموه ما أخذتموه إلا أن تتغاضوا فيه فالله أغنى عنه منكم فلا تجعلوا لله ما تكرهون وقيل معناه "ولا تيمموا الخبيث منه تنفقون" أي لا تعدلوا عن المال الحلال وتقصدوا إلى الحرام فتجعلوا نفقتكم منه ويذكر ههنا الحديث الذي رواه الإمام أحمد حدثنا محمد بن عبيد حدثنا إسحق عن الصباح بن محمد عن مرة الهمداني عن عبدالله بن مسعود قال: قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - إن الله قسم بينكم أخلاقكم كما قسم بينكم أرزاقكم لأن الله يعطي الدنيا من يحب ومن لا يحب ولا يعطي الدين إلا لمن أحب فمن أعطاه الله الدين فقد أحبه والذي نفسي بيده لا يسلم عبد حتى يسلم قلبه ولسانه ولا يؤمن حتى يأمن جاره بوائقه - قالوا: وما بوائقه يا نبي الله؟ قال: غشه وظلمه ولا يكسب عبد مالا من حرام فينقق منه فيبارك له فيه ولا يتصدق به فيقبل منه ولا يتركه خلف ظهره إلا كان زاده إلى النار إن الله لا يمحو السيء بالسيء ولكن يمحو السيء بالحسن إن الخبيث لا يمحو الخبيث. والصحيح القول الأول قال ابن جرير رحمه الله: حدثنا الحسين بن عمر العبقري حدثني أبي عن أسباط عن السدي عن عدي بن ثابت عن البراء بن عازب - رضي الله عنه - في قول الله "يا أيها الذين آمنوا أنفقوا من طيبات ما كسبتم ومما أخرجنا لكم من الأرض ولا تيمموا الخبيث منه تنفقون" الآية قال: نزلت في الأنصار كانت الأنصار إذا كانت أيام جذاذ النخل أخرجت من حيطانها البسر فعلقوه على حبل بين الأسطوانتين في مسجد رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فيأكل فقراء المهاجرين منه فيعمد الرجل منهم إلى الحشف فيدخله مع قناء البسر يظن أن ذلك جائز فأنزل الله فيمن فعل ذلك "ولا تيمموا الخبيث منه تنفقون" ثم رواه ابن جرير وابن ماجه وابن مردويه والحاكم في مستدركه من طريق السدي عن عدي بن ثابت عن البراء بنحوه وقال الحاكم صحيح على شرط البخاري ومسلم ولم يخرجاه وقال ابن أبي حاتم: حدثنا أبو سعيد الأشج حدثنا عبيد الله عن إسرائيل عن السدي عن أبي مالك عن البراء - رضي الله عنه - "ولا تيمموا الخبيث منهم تنفقون ولستم بآخذيه إلا أن تغمضوا فيه" قال: نزلت فينا كنا أصحاب نخل فكان الرجل يأتي من نخله بقدر كثرته وقلته فيأتي الرجل بالقنو فيعلقه في المسجد وكان أهل الصفة ليس لهم طعام فكان أحدهم إذا جاع جاء فضربه بعصاه فسقط منه البسر والتمر فيأكل وكان أناس منه لا يرغبون في الخير يأتي بالقنو الحشف والشيص فيأتي بالقنو قد انكسر فيعلقه فنزلت "ولا تيمموا الخبيث منه تنفقون ولستم بآخذيه إلا أن تغمضوا فيه" قال لو أن أحدكم أهدي له مثل ما أعطى ما أخذه إلا على إغماض وحياء فكنا بعد ذلك يجيء الرجل منا بصالح ما عنده وكذا رواه الترمذي عن عبدالله بن عبدالرحمن الدارمي عن عبيد الله هو ابن موسى العبسي عن إسرائيل عن السدي وهو إسماعيل بن عبدالرحمن عن أبي مالك الغفاري واسمه غزوان عن البراء فذكر نحوه ثم قال وهذا حديث حسن غريب وقال ابن أبي حاتم: حدثنا أبي حدثنا أبو الوليد حدثنا سليمان بن كثير عن الزهري عن أبي أمامة بن سهل بن حنيف عن أبيه أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - نهى عن لونين من التمر الجعرور والحبيق وكان الناس يتيممون شرار ثمارهم ثم يخرجونها في الصدقة فنزلت "ولا تيمموا الخبيث منه تنفقون" ورواه أبو داود من حديث سفيان بن حسين عن الزهري ثم قال أسنده أبو الوليد عن سليمان بن كثير عن الزهري ولفظه نهى رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - عن الجعرور ولون الحبيق أن يؤخذ في الصدقة وقد روى النسائي هذا الحديث من طريق عبد الجليل بن حميد اليحصبي عن الزهري عن أبي أمامة ولم يقل عن أبيه فذكر نحوه وكذا رواه ابن وهب عن عبد الجليل وقال ابن أبي حاتم: حدثنا أبي حدثنا يحيى بن المغيرة حدثنا جرير عن عطاء بن السائب عن عبدالله بن مغفل في هذه الآية "ولا تيمموا الخبيث منه تنفقون" قال كسب المسلم لا يكون خبيثـا ولكن لا يصدق بالحشف والدرهم الزيف وما لا خير فيه وقال الإمام أحمد: حدثنا أبـو سعيد حدثنا حماد بن سلمة عن حماد هو ابن سليمان عن إبراهيم عن الأسود عن عائشة قالت أتى رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - بضب فلم يأكله ولم ينه عنه قلت: يا رسول الله نطعمه المساكين قال لا تطعموهم مما لا تأكلون ثم رواه عن عفان عن حماد بن سلمة به فقلت يا رسول الله ألا أطعمه المسكين؟ قال لا تطعموهم مما لا تأكلون وقال الثوري: عن السدي عن أبي مالك عن البراء "ولستم بآخذيه إلا أن تغمضوا فيه" يقول لو كان لرجل على رجل فأعطاه ذلك لم يأخذه إلا أن يرى أنه قد نقصه من حقه؟ رواه ابن جرير وقال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس "ولستم بآخذيه إلا أن تغمضوا فيه" يقول لو كان لكم على أحد حق فجاءكم بحق دون حقكم لم تأخذوه بحساب الجيد حتى تنقصوه قال فذلك قوله "إلا أن تغمضوا فيه" فكيف ترضون لي ما لا ترضون لأنفسكم وحقي عليكم من أطيب أموالكم وأنفسه؟ رواه ابن أبي حاتم وابن جرير وزاد وهو قوله "لن تنالوا البر حتى تنفقوا مما تحبون" ثم روى من طريق العوفي وغيره عن ابن عباس نحو ذلك وكذا ذكره غير واحد. وقوله "واعلموا أن الله غني حميد" أي وإن أمركم بالصدقات وبالطيب منها فهو غني عنها وما ذاك إلا أن يساوي الغني الفقير كقوله "لن ينال الله لحومها ولا دماؤها ولكن يناله التقوى منكم" وهو غني عن جميع خلقه وجميع خلقه فقراء إليه وهو واسع الفضل لا ينقذ ما لديه فمن تصدق بصدقة من كسب طيب فليعلم أن الله غني واسع العطاء كريم جواد وسيجزيه بها ويضاعفها له أضعافا كثيرة من يقرض غير عديم ولا ظلوم وهو الحميد أي المحمود في جميع أفعاله وأقواله وشرعه وقدره لا إله إلا هو ولا رب سواه.

The Encouragement to Spend Honest Money for Allah's Sake

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,

وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُواْ الْخَبِيثَ

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

مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِأَخِذِيهِ

(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,

وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُواْ 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,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَنفِقُواْ مِن طَيِّبَـتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّآ أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُواْ 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 ﷺ. 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,

وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُواْ 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 بِأَخِذِيهِ إِلاَ أَن تُغْمِضُواْ 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,

إِلاَ أَن تُغْمِضُواْ 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 تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ

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

Allah said next,

وَاعْلَمُواْ 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 وَلاَ دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَـكِن يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَى 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

Shaytanic Doubts Concerning Spending in Charity

Allah said,

الشَّيْطَـنُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَآءِ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلاً وَاللَّهُ وَسِعٌ 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 الشَّيْطَان»

(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 then recited,

الشَّيْطَـنُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَآءِ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلاً

(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,

الشَّيْطَـنُ 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 بِالْفَحْشَآءِ

(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,

وَفَضْلاً

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

وَاللَّهُ وَسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

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

The Meaning of Al-Hikmah

Allah said,

يُؤْتِى الْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَآءُ

(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 إِلاَّ أُوْلُواْ الأَلْبَـبِ

(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."

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.

Commentary

The preceding section dealt with spending in the way of Allah. Now further details related to this appear in the seven verses of the present section. These are as follows:

(1) Verse 267 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا (الٰی قولہ) غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ:O those who believe, spend ... Allah is A11-Independent, Ever-Praised.'

On the basis of the circumstances in which this verse was revealed, the word: (tayyib: plural, tayyibat طَيِّبَاتِ ) has been interpreted to mean 'good' since some people used to bring things which were bad and that was why this verse was revealed. Some commentators have interpreted the word, tayyib طَيِّبَ (good) to mean حلال halal (lawful) relying on the generality of the word since something is perfectly good only when it is حلال halal (lawful) as well. So, according to this interpretation, the verse emphasizes that the thing given in charity must be from one's lawful income. However, according to the first interpretation, the stress on this condition will have to be proved by other sources. Let us remember that this is for a person who has something good yet elects to spend something not good as ما کسبتم (you have earned) and اخرجنا (We have brought forth) do indicate that good things are available with the person making charity, while the sentence لَا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ (and do not opt for a bad thing spending only from there) proves the spending of something not good deliberately. As for the one who just does not possess anything good, he shall be exempted from this prohibition. His giving, even if it be bad, shall be accepted.

Some scholars have deduced from the expression, ما کسبتم (what you have earned), the ruling that it is permissible for the father to eat out of the earnings of his son. This is based on a hadith: اولادکم من طیب اسابکم فکلوا اموال اولادکم ھنیاً Your children are a good part of your earnings, so eat out of the income of your children cheerfully. (Qurtubi)

Injunctions relating to the lands of 'Ushr

The word اخرجنا (akhrajna: We have brought forth) in مِمَّا أَخْرَ‌جْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْ‌ضِ (What We have brought forth for you from the earth) hints that ` ushr عُشر is obligatory on 'ushri عُشری lands. Based on the generality of this verse, Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) has deduced that 'ushr is wajib واجب or obligatory on every produce, big or small, yielded by 'ushri land. The verse وَآتُوا حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ (And pay the due thereof on the day of its harvest; 6:141) in Surah AI-An'am is open and clear in support of the obligatory nature of 'ushr.

'Ushr (عُشر : the tenth or twentieth part) and Kharaj خراج : land tax) are two technical terms used in Islamic Shari'ah. There is a common factor between these two. Both have an aspect of tax in them when levied on lands by an Islamic state. However, there is a difference. 'Ushr is not just a tax. On the contrary, its real nature is more of an act of monetary 'Ibadah (worship) than tax. This is similar to زکاۃ Zakah, for which reason, it is also called (zakah al-ard زکاۃ الارض : the زکاۃ Zakah of the land). Kharaj خراج is straight tax which carries no aspect of 'Ibadah. Since Muslims are capable of'ibadah and are obligated to do that, the part of land-produce taken from them is known as 'Ushr. Since non-Muslims are not obligated with 'Ibadah, that which is levied on their lands is named Kharaj. There is another practical difference between زکاۃ Zakah and 'Ushr -- زکاۃ Zakah becomes due on gold, silver and goods of commercial value after the passage of one year while 'Ushr becomes obligatory immediately after the produce is harvested from the land.

There is yet another difference -- 'Ushr is dropped if the land produces nothing, but زکاۃ Zakah remains obligatory at the end of the year on gold, silver and goods of commercial value even if there is no profit at all. This is not the place to discuss details relating to the problems of 'Ushr and Kharaj خراج . These can be seen in books of Fiqh. Incidentally, this humble writer has discussed this subject in some details in his book, Nizam al-Ara-di نظام الاراضی which also contains special injunctions concerning lands in Pakistan and India.

(O ye who believe! Spend of the good things which ye have earned�) [2:267]. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ahmad al-Saydalani informed us> Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Nu'aym> Ahmad ibn Sahl ibn Hamdawayh> Qays ibn Unayf> Qutaybah ibn Sa'id> Hatim ibn Isma'il> Ja'far ibn Muhammad> his father> Jabir who said: �The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, commanded that the poor-due of the break of fast (Zakat al-Fitr) was to be one measure (Sa') of dates. One man brought low quality dates, as a result of which this Qur'anic verse was revealed (O ye who believe! Spend of the good things which ye have earned, and of that which We bring forth from the earth for you, and seek not the bad (with intent) to spend thereof (in charity) when ye would not take it for yourselves save with disdain)�. Abu Ishaq Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Wa'iz informed us> 'Abd Allah ibn Hamid al-Asfahani> Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Farisi> Ahmad ibn Musa al-Jammaz> 'Amr ibn Hammad ibn Talhah> Asbat ibn Nasr> al-Suddi> 'Adiyy ibn Thabit> al-Bara' who said: �This verse was revealed about the Helpers. At the time of the harvest of dates, the Helpers used to bring out of their fields bunches of dates and unripe dates and then hang them on a rope between two pillars in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, so that the poor among the Emigrants could eat of them. Some people used to hang therein bunches of very low quality dates, thinking that no one will notice, due to the abundance of these bunches that people usually placed there. Allah, exalted is He, revealed, about those people who do this: (and seek not the bad (with intent) to spend thereof (in charity)�), in reference here to bunches of low quality dates, for 'if the same was gifted to you, you would not accept it' �.