9:55 At-Tawba (The Repentance)

يقول تعالى‏:‏ فلا تعجبك أموال هؤلاء المنافقين ولا أولادهم، فإنه لا غبطة فيها، وأول بركاتها عليهم أن قدموها على مراضى ربهم، وعصوا اللّه لأجلها ‏{‏إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا‏}‏ والمراد بالعذاب هنا، ما ينالهم من المشقة في تحصيلها، والسعي الشديد في ذلك، وهم القلب فيها، وتعب البدن‏.‏ فلو قابلت لذاتهم فيها بمشقاتهم، لم يكن لها نسبة إليها، فهي ـ لما ألهتهم عن اللّه وذكره ـ صارت وبالا عليهم حتى في الدنيا‏.‏ ومن وبالها العظيم الخطر، أن قلوبهم تتعلق بها، وإرادتهم لا تتعداها، فتكون منتهى مطلوبهم وغاية مرغوبهم ولا يبقى في قلوبهم للآخرة نصيب، فيوجب ذلك أن ينتقلوا من الدنيا ‏{‏وَتَزْهَقَ أَنْفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ‏}‏ فأي عقوبة أعظم من هذه العقوبة الموجبة للشقاء الدائم والحسرة الملازمة‏.‏

يقول تعالى لرسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم " فلا تعجبك أموالهم ولا أولادهم " كما قال تعالى " ولا تمدن عينيك إلى ما متعنا به أزواجا منهم زهرة الحياة الدنيا لنفتنهم فيه ورزق ربك خير وأبقى " وقال " أيحسبون أن ما نمدهم به من مال وبنين نسارع لهم في الخيرات بل لا يشعرون " وقوله " إنما يريد الله ليعذبهم بها في الحياة الدنيا " قال الحسن البصري بزكاتها والنفقة منها في سبيل الله وقال قتادة هذا من المقدم والمؤخر تقديره: فلا تعجبك أموالهم ولا أولادهم في الحياة الدنيا إنما يريد الله ليعذبهم بها في الآخرة. واختار ابن جرير قول الحسن وهو القول القوي الحسن. وقوله " وتزهق أنفسهم وهم كافرون " أي ويريد أن يميتهم حين يميتهم على الكفر ليكون ذلك أنكى لهم وأشد لعذابهم. عياذا بالله من ذلك وهذا يكون من باب الاستدراج لهم فيما هم فيه.

فَلاَ تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَلُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلَـدُهُمْ

(So let not their wealth nor their children amaze you...) In similar Ayat, Allah said,

وَلاَ تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَجاً مِّنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى

(And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to various groups of them, the splendor of the life of this world, that We may test them thereby. But the provision (good reward in the Hereafter) of your Lord is better and more lasting) 20:131, and,

أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُمْ بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ - نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِى الْخَيْرَتِ بَل لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ

(Do they think that in wealth and children with which We enlarge them. We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not.) 23:55-56. Allah said next,

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا

(in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world,) by taking the Zakah due on their money from them and spending it in Allah's cause, according to the meaning given by Al-Hasan Al-Basri. Allah's statement,

وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـفِرُونَ

(and that their souls shall depart while they are disbelievers) means, so that when Allah brings death to them, they will still be disbelievers, to make matters worse for them and the torment more severe. We seek refuge from such an end, which includes being led astray gradually by these things which they have.

So do not let their wealth or their children please you that is do not deem fair Our graces to them for this is a way of drawing them on by degrees to punish them God only desires thereby to chastise them in the life of this world by way of the hardship that they encounter in amassing such wealth and children and the calamities they suffer as a result thereof; and that their souls should depart while they are disbelievers so He punishes them in the Hereafter with the worst punishment.

Commentary

Mentioned in the previous verses were bad morals and bad deeds of the hypocrites. The same subject continues in the verses quoted above. As for the statement in verse 55 -- where it has been declared that the wealth and children of hypocrites should not be taken as a blessing for them as these are, in fact, a form of punishment from Allah -- it has a reason. Is it not that love for and engrossment in worldly life becomes a punishment right here in this world? One starts with desires to acquire worldly wealth, then goes through a series of hard work to establish the necessary channels, day in and day out, sacrificing sleep, comfort and family life. After that, if one succeeds, come the concerns of increasing and retaining it - a round the clock punishment indeed. A serious loss or sickness could become unwelcome cans of worries, and if one happens to get everything one wants, the vicious circle continues either through apprehensions of decreasing wealth or cravings of increasing it further. There is just no respite anytime.

Finally, these things go out of one's hands. This may happen at the time of death, or much earlier. Whenever it does, despair takes over. What is this, if not punishment? Man surrounds himself with articles of comfort and calls it comfort. Real comfort, the peace and comfort of the heart is something man has yet to find. But, in the meantime, man has to rely on material means and things for satisfaction, not realizing that these agents will keep snatching away his share of peace in this world and will also become the prelude to the punishment in the world to come.

Can Sadaqah be given to a disbeliever?

The last two verses show that the hypocrites used to receive a share from properties available as Sadaqat (plural of Sadaqah, meaning a donation through which one seeks reward with Allah Ta` ala, usually referred to as alms or charity). But, when they did not get these as they wished, they became angry and started accusing and cursing. If, at this place, Sadaqat are taken in their general sense - which includes all Sadaqat, necessary (wajib) and voluntary (nafl) - then, there is no problem, because non-Muslims can be given out of the voluntary Sadaqat. This is permissible on the basis of the consensus of Muslim Ummah and stands proved from Sunnah. However, even if Sadaqat at this place mean what is obligatory, like Zakah and ` Ushr, then, we should remember that the hypocrites were given a share from it on the basis that they claimed to be Muslims. Since they claimed to believe in all the necessary articles of faith and their kufr was hidden in their hearts, with no conclusive proof in their apparent claims they were treated as Muslims to the extent of this worldly life and Allah Ta` ala had, in His wisdom, given the orders that the hypocrites should be treated as Muslims. (Bayan a1-Qur'an)

Signs of Hypocrites and Warning for Muslims

In verse 54, two signs of hypocrites have been given: (1) they come to the Sa ل ah lazily and listlessly, and (2) that they spend in the way of Allah unwillingly.

Muslims have been warned here that sloth in Salah and being sour at heart while spending in the way of Allah, that is, Zakah and Sadaqah, are signs of nifaq (hypocrisy). All Muslims should make conscious effort to stay safe from these signs.