He, glorified is He, attributed their earnings to them, although He is the Creator of their actions, because earning is their own action, performed by them. He attributed bringing forth the earth’s produce to Himself because it is neither their action nor within their power. Thus He attributed to them what lies within their power, and to Himself what He brings about beyond their power. This implicitly refutes those who equate the two kinds and entirely deny the servant’s power, action, and efficacy.
He, glorified is He, singled out these two kinds—what the earth produces and what is earned through trade—rather than other forms of wealth, such as livestock, for either of two reasons. The first is that this reflected their circumstances: these constituted most of their wealth at that time. The Emigrants engaged in trade and earning, while the Helpers cultivated the land and grew crops. He therefore mentioned these two kinds specifically because they needed their rulings explained and because both were widespread. The second is that these are the principal sources of wealth, from which everything else derives and develops. Earnings encompass all trade, in its various categories and forms: clothing, food, slaves, animals, equipment, goods, and everything else traded. What the earth produces includes its grain, fruit, buried treasure, and minerals. These two are the principal sources of wealth and account for most of what people possess throughout the earth, so mentioning them was more important.
Then He said:
“Do not select the inferior things to give.”
He, glorified is He, thus forbade deliberately choosing inferior things to give, as most people are inclined to do: they keep the good things for themselves and give the inferior things to the poor.
His prohibition against deliberately selecting and seeking out such things implies something of an excuse for someone who does so without deliberate intent, but merely because that happens to be what is available at the time, or because his wealth is of that kind. Such a person has not deliberately selected inferior things; rather, he has sought to give some of what Allah has bestowed upon him.
The clause “to give” functions grammatically as a circumstantial qualifier: that is, do not select inferior things with the intention of giving from them.
Then He said:
“When you yourselves would accept them only by overlooking their defects.”
That is, if you yourselves were entitled to receive something and this were offered to you, you would not accept it in settlement of what was owed to you unless you were lenient in accepting it and relaxed your standards. This derives from the expression, “So-and-so overlooked part of what was due to him.” A seller is also told: