spending in the cause of Allah.
Qatādah said, “They keep their hands back from every kind of good.” Thus, Mujāhid pointed specifically to benefit that involves wealth, whereas Qatādah widened the meaning to include benefit offered through both wealth and personal effort.
The phrase “clenching the hand” simply means to withhold or refrain, as in the Most High’s words:
“Do not keep your hand chained to your neck, nor stretch it out to its full extent.” (al-Isrāʾ 17:29)
and His saying:
“The Jews said, ‘Allah’s hand is fettered.’ May their own hands be fettered and may they be cursed for what they say! Rather, both His hands are outspread; He bestows as He wills.” (al-Māʾidah 5:64)
In common usage this is either a straightforward literal expression—its meaning clear from the wording—or, if one prefers, a well-known metaphor.
(1) The exegetes relate that Mujahid said about the verse “wa-yaqbiduna aydiyahum” (and they keep their hands closed): they do not open them to spend in what is right; the meaning in all reports is essentially the same. See: al-Tabari, Tafsir, 10:120; Tafsir Mujahid, ed. Abd al-Rahman al-Surati, p. 283. The phrasing cited here by the author is that of Ibn Kathir’s Tafsir, 2:368, and Ibn Kathir does not attribute it to anyone.
(2) See: al-Tabari, Tafsir, 10:121.
(3) Manuscript A has: al-amwal (wealth).
(4) Qur’an, Surah al-Isra (17:29).
(5) Qur’an, Surah al-Ma’ida (5:64).
(6) Manuscripts C and D read: “wa-fi haqiqa ʿurfiyya.” The preposition fi adds nothing here; thinking something had fallen out, the scribe of D inserted ellipses after fi, thus: “fi … haqiqa.”
(7) The author defines the customary usage (haqiqa ʿurfiyya) in his book al-Iman as: “When a term comes to indicate a meaning by common usage rather than by language,” as in dabbah: linguistically it denotes every creature that moves, whereas in common usage it is restricted to quadrupeds. See: al-Iman, p. 80.
(8) The author (may Allah have mercy on him) is well known for his view on figurative language (majaz). He argues that the technical division of words into literal (haqiqa) and figurative (majaz) senses is a later innovation that appeared only after the three blessed generations; none of the Companions, the Successors, or the celebrated imams—such as Malik, al-Thawri, al-Awzaʿi, Abu Hanifa, or al-Shafiʿi—nor even the leading grammarians like al-Khalil, Sibawayh, and Abu Amr ibn al-ʿAlaʾ, ever spoke of it. He considers it a device used by sectarian theologians, such as the Muʿtazila and other mutakallimun, as a means of re-interpreting and distorting the words of Allah and His Messenger, especially concerning the divine names and attributes, and he holds that it entails linguistic, doctrinal, and rational harms. See: Majmuʿ al-Fatawa, 7:87–117 and 20:400–497; al-Iman, pp. 72–100.