Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (171)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

a prompting that says to him: “If you give this away, you will need it and find yourself without it. Keeping it is better for you, so that you do not end up like the poor man. It is better for you to be wealthy than for him to be.” Once he has painted this picture for him, he commands him to commit immorality—namely, miserliness, which is among the vilest immoral deeds. The commentators unanimously agree that “immorality” here means miserliness. Such is his promise, and such is his command. He lies in his promise and is deceitful and wicked in his command. Whoever answers his call is deluded, deceived, and cheated. He entices those he calls through deception, then leads them to the worst of ends, as has been said:

He lured them with deception, then led them to their doom;
The wicked one deceives whoever takes him as a friend.

Moreover, his threatening a person with poverty is not out of compassion for him, sincere concern such as a man has when advising his brother, or a desire for him to remain wealthy. Rather, he cares nothing for the man’s poverty and need. He threatens him with poverty and commands him to be miserly only so that he will think ill of his Lord, abandon the spending that Allah loves to be done for His sake, and thereby incur deprivation from Him.

Allah, glorified is He, on the other hand, promises His servant forgiveness of his sins and bounty: He will replace what he spends with far more, many times over, either in this world or in both this world and the Hereafter.

This is Allah’s promise, and that is Satan’s promise. Let both the miser and the giver consider: which promise is more trustworthy? In which does his heart find reassurance and his soul find peace? Allah grants success to whomever He wills and forsakes whomever He wills. He is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.

Consider how He concludes this verse with these two names: “Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.” He is boundless in His giving and knows who deserves His bounty and who deserves His justice. He gives to one out of His bounty and withholds from another out of His justice. He knows all things.

Reflect, then, on these verses, and do not consider this extended discussion of them too lengthy. Their significance is grasped only by those who understand Allah’s address and comprehend His intent:

29:43 “These are the parables We set forth for people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge.”

داعيا يقول له: متى أخرجت هذا دعتك الحاجة إليه، وافتقرت إليه بعد إخراجه، وإمساكه خير لك، حتى لا تبقى مثل الفقير، فغناك خير لك من غناه. فإذا صور له هذه الصورة أمره بالفحشاء وهي البخل الذي هو من أقبح الفواحش. وهذا إجماع من المفسرين: أن الفحشاء، هنا البخل. فهذا وعده وهذا أمره. وهو الكاذب في وعده، الغار الفاجر في أمره. فالمستجيب لدعوته مغرور مخدوع مغبون. فإنه يدلي من يدعوه بغروره. ثم يورده شر الموارد، كما قيل: دلاهم بغرور، ثم أوردهم ... إن الخبيث لمن والاه غرار هذا وإن وعده له الفقر ليس شفقة عليه، ولا نصيحة له، كما ينصح الرجل أخاه ولا محبة في بقائه غنيا، بل لا شيء إليه من فقره وحاجته. وإنما وعده له بالفقر وأمره إياه بالبخل ليسيء ظنه بربه، ويترك ما يحبه من الإنفاق لوجهه، فستوجب منه الحرمان. وأما الله سبحانه إنه يعد عبده مغفرة منه لذنوبه، وفضلا بأن يخلف عليه أكثر مما أنفق وأضعافه أما في الدنيا أو في الدنيا والآخرة. فهذا وعد، الله وذاك وعد الشيطان. فلينظر البخيل والمنفق أيّ الوعدين هو أوثق؟ وإلى أيهما يطمئن قلبه وتسكن نفسه؟ والله يوفق من يشاء ويخذل من يشاء. وهو الواسع العليم. وتأمل كيف ختم هذه الآية بهذين الأسمين وَاللَّهُ واسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ فإنه واسع العطاء عليم بمن يستحق فضله ومن يستحق عدله، فيعطي هذا بفضله، ويمنع هذا بعدله. وهو بكل شيء عليم. فتأمل هذه الآيات ولا تستطل بسط الكلام فيها فإن لها شأنا لا يعقله إلا من عقل عن الله خطابه وفهم مراده ٢٩: ٤٣ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثالُ نَضْرِبُها لِلنَّاسِ وَما يَعْقِلُها إِلَّا الْعالِمُونَ.