30:39 Ar-Room (The Romans)

ولما ذكر العمل الذي يقصد به وجهه [من النفقات] ذكر العمل الذي يقصد به مقصد دنيوي فقال: { وَمَا آتَيْتُمْ مِنْ رِبًا لِيَرْبُو فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ } أي: ما أعطيتم من أموالكم الزائدة عن حوائجكم وقصدكم بذلك أن يربو أي: يزيد في أموالكم بأن تعطوها لمن تطمعون أن يعاوضكم عنها بأكثر منها، فهذا العمل لا يربو أجره عند اللّه لكونه معدوم الشرط الذي هو الإخلاص. ومثل ذلك العمل الذي يراد به الزيادة في الجاه والرياء عند الناس فهذا كله لا يربو عند اللّه.{ وَمَا آتَيْتُمْ مِنْ زَكَاةٍ } أي: مال يطهركم من الأخلاق الرذيلة ويطهر أموالكم من البخل بها ويزيد في دفع حاجة الْمُعْطَى. { تُرِيدُونَ } بذلك { وَجْهَ اللَّهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ } أي: المضاعف لهم الأجر الذين تربو نفقاتهم عند اللّه ويربيها اللّه لهم حتى تكون شيئا كثيرا.ودل قوله: { وَمَا آتَيْتُمْ مِنْ زَكَاةٍ } أن الصدقة مع اضطرار من يتعلق بالمنفق أو مع دَيْنٍ عليه لم يقضه ويقدم عليه الصدقة أن ذلك ليس بزكاة يؤجر عليه العبد ويرد تصرفه شرعا كما قال تعالى في الذي يمدح: { الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّى } فليس مجرد إيتاء المال خيرا حتى يكون بهذه الصفة وهو: أن يكون على وجه يتزكى به المؤتي.

قال تعالى "وما آتيتم من ربا ليربوا في أموال الناس فلا يربوا عند الله" أي من أعطى عطية يريد أن يرد عليه الناس أكثر مما أهدى لهم فهذا لا ثواب له عند الله بهذا فسره ابن عباس ومجاهد والضحاك وقتادة وعكرمة ومحمد بن كعب والشعبي وهذا الصنيع مباح وإن كان لا ثواب فيه إلا أنه قد نهى عنه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خاصة قاله الضحاك واستدل بقوله تعالى "ولا تمنن تستكثر" أي لا تعط العطاء تريد أكثرت منه وقال ابن عباس: الربا رباءان فربا لا يصح يعني ربا البيع وربا لا بأس به وهو هدية الرجل يريد فضلتها وأضعافها ثم تلا هذه الآية "وما آتيتم من ربا ليربو في أموال الناس فلا يربو عند الله" وإنما الثواب عند الله في الزكاة ولهذا قال تعالى "وما آتيتم من زكاة تريدون وجه الله فأولئك هم المضعفون" أي الذين يضاعف الله لهم الثواب والجزاء كما جاء في الصحيح "وما تصدق أحد بعدل تمرة من كسب طيب إلا أخذها الرحمن بيمينه فيربيها لصاحبها كما يربي أحدكم فلوه أو فصيله حتى تصير التمرة أعظم من أحد".

The Command to uphold the Ties of Kinship and the Prohibition of Riba Allah commands giving:

ذَا الْقُرْبَى حَقَّهُ

(to the kindred his due) his due of respect and upholding the ties of kinship.

وَالْمَسَـكِينُ

(and to Al-Miskin) the one who has nothing to spend on his needs, or he has something but it is not enough.

وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ

(and to the wayfarer.) the traveler who is in need of money and other things during his journey.

ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ

(That is best for those who seek Allah's Face;) meaning; to look upon Him on the Day of Resurrection, which is the ultimate aim.

وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

(and it is they who will be successful.) means, in this world and the Hereafter. Then Allah says:

وَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُمْ مِّن رِّباً لِّيَرْبُوَاْ فِى أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلاَ يَرْبُواْ عِندَ اللَّهِ

(And that which you give in Riba, in order that it may increase from other people's property, has no increase with Allah;) This means, that which is given as a gift to others in the hope that they will give back more than they were given. There is no reward for this with Allah. This is how this Ayah was interpreted by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, `Ikrimah, Muhammad bin Ka`b and Ash-Sha`bi. Allah says:

وَمَآ ءاتَيْتُمْ مِّن زَكَوةٍ تُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ

(but that which you give in Zakah seeking Allah's Face, then those they shall have manifold increase.) Those are the ones for whom Allah will multiply the reward. It was reported in the Sahih:

«وَمَا تَصَدَّقَ أَحَدٌ بِعَدْلِ تَمْرَةٍ مِنْ كَسْبٍ طَيِّبٍ إِلَّا أَخَذَهَا الرَّحْمَنُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَيُرَبِّيهَا لِصَاحِبِهَا، كَمَا يُرَبِّي أَحَدُكُمْ فَلُوَّهُ أَوْ فَصِيلَهُ حَتَّى تَصِيرَ التَّمْرَةُ أَعْظَمَ مِنْ أُحُد»

(No person gives in charity the equivalent of a date which was earned in a lawful manner, but the Most Merciful takes it in His Right Hand and takes care of it for its owner, just as any one of you takes care of his foal or young camel, until the date becomes the size of Mount Uhud.)

Creation, Provision, Life and Death are all in the Hand of Allah Allah says:

اللَّهُ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ رَزَقَكُمْ

(Allah is He Who created you, then provided food for you,) means, He is the Creator and Provider. He brings man forth from his mother's womb naked and knowing nothing, not able to see or hear, and having no strength. Then He provides him with all these things, giving him household effects, clothing, wealth, possessions and earnings.

ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ

(then will cause you to die,) means, after this life.

ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ

(then (again) He will give you life.) means, on the Day of Resurrection.

هَلْ مِن شُرَكَآئِكُمْ

(Is there any of your partners) means, those whom you worship instead of Allah,

مَّن يَفْعَلُ مِن ذَلِكُمْ مِّن شَىْءٍ

(that do anything of that) meaning, none of them are able to do any of that. But Allah is the One Who is Independent in His powers of creation, provision, and giving life and death. Then He will resurrect His creation on the Day of Resurrection. This is why, after all this He says:

سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

(Glory be to Him! And Exalted be He above all that they associate. ) meaning, exalted and sanctified and glorified be He far above having any partner, peer, equal, son or father, for He is the One, the Unique, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who begets not nor was He begotten, and there is none comparable unto Him.

And what you give in usury — such as when something is given as a gift or a present for the purpose of demanding more in return; it the practice of usury ribā is referred to by the same noun denoting that illicit ‘extra’ ziyāda requested in the financial transaction — that it may increase the wealth of the people giving it does not increase with God — there is no reward in it for those who give it. But what you give as alms zakāt as voluntary alms sadaqa seeking thereby God’s Countenance such of you who do so — they are the receivers of manifold increase in their reward for what they sought there is here a shift of address away from the second person.

وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن رِّ‌بًا لِّيَرْ‌بُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ (And whatever Riba [ increased amount ] you give so that it may increase in the wealth of the people, - 30:39). This verse is meant to correct an evil custom which is common in close relatives and the families at large. When people extend a gift or a present to relatives, especially at the time of marriages, they make a note of the amount they have given, in the hope that they will get back an equal amount in return when it is their turn, rather a little more. This custom is known in Urdu as 'neota'. It is emphasized in this verse that the instruction given in the preceding verse about the rights of relatives should be implemented in a manner that neither it be shown as a favour, nor should it be given in the hope of any return. Whoever gives out money in the hope that it will bring back something more, then it is not worthy of reward in the sight of Allah. Qur'an has referred to it as riba, alluding that it is as bad as usury or interest.1

1. This explanation is based on the view of a number of exegetes of Qur an. The word used by the Holy Qur'an is rib a term commonly understood as equivalent to usury or interest, prohibition of which has been detailed in verses 275 to 281 of Sarah Al-Baqarah and verse 130 of Sarah 'Al ` Imran. Since, according to a large number of scholars, usury was prohibited in Madinah, while the present verse is Makkan, the word riba used here cannot mean usury or interest. Therefore, the word is interpreted here as a gift given to a relative in order to get back a gift of higher value from him. But some other commentators have taken the word riba in the same sense as in Sarah Al-Baqarah, i.e. usury and interest. They argue that usury was prohibited even in Makkah, but its implementation on a state level was carried out in Madinah. The esteemed author has reconciled between these two views by saying that the direct purpose of the verse is to correct the evil custom of giving gifts in the hope of getting a higher return, as mentioned in some traditions, but the word 'riba' is used to indicate that this practice is tantamount to the practice of usury where an increased amount is charged from a debtor. ( Muhammad Taqi ` Usmani)

Ruling

It is extremely contemptible for a person who extends a gift to someone that he expects a return for it, which is forbidden in this verse. But it is morally desirable for the one who receives a gift from someone, that he tries to give a gift to the former on his own accord, whenever he finds a suitable occasion. This was exactly the practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . He used to give present to the person who gave him one. (Qurtubi on authority of Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ . However, it should be avoided to give him an impression that the gift is being given in return of his own.