Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (176)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

better and more beneficial for you. If your souls refuse and begrudge either the justice that is obligatory or the generosity that is recommended, remind them of a Day when you will return to Allah and meet your Lord. He will then repay you in full for your deeds, when you are most in need of that recompense.

Thus, He, glorified be He, mentions the doer of good—the one who gives charity—and follows him with the wrongdoer—the one who deals in interest. He then mentions the just person in the verse concerning debts:

[Surah al-Baqarah (2): verse 282]
“O you who believe, when you contract a debt for a specified term, write it down. Let a scribe record it between you justly. No scribe should refuse to write as Allah has taught him. So let him write, and let the debtor dictate. Let him fear Allah, his Lord, and not diminish anything of what he owes. If the debtor is of limited understanding, weak, or unable to dictate himself, then let his guardian dictate justly. Call upon two witnesses from among your men. If there are not two men, then one man and two women whom you accept as witnesses, so that if one of the women errs, the other may remind her. Witnesses must not refuse when summoned. Do not weary of recording the debt, whether small or large, together with its due date. That is more just in Allah’s sight, more reliable as evidence, and more likely to prevent doubt—unless it is an immediate transaction that you conduct among yourselves, in which case there is no blame upon you if you do not record it. Have witnesses when you transact business, and let neither scribe nor witness be harmed. If you do so, that is sinful conduct on your part. Fear Allah. Allah teaches you, and Allah has knowledge of all things.” (282)

Were it not that this verse calls for an entire volume of its own, I would have offered some explanation of it. The purpose here, however, is merely to draw attention and point the way. He also mentions the just person: one who takes back his principal from his debtor, without increase or decrease.

He then concludes the surah with this magnificent ending, which comes from a treasure beneath His Throne. Satan flees from the house in which it is recited. It contains such knowledge and understanding, foundational principles of Islam, fundamentals of faith, and stations of spiritual excellence that explaining them would require a separate book.

أفضل لكم وخير لكم. فإن أبت نفوسكم وشحّت بالعدل الواجب أو الفضل المندوب فذكروها يوما ترجعون فيه إلى الله وتلقون ربكم، فيوفيكم جزاء أعمالكم أحوج ما أنتم إليه. فذكر سبحانه المحسن وهو المتصدق ثم عقبه بالظالم وهو المرابي. ثم ذكر العادل في آية التداين [سورة البقرة (٢) : آية ٢٨٢] يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذا تَدايَنْتُمْ بِدَيْنٍ إِلى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَاكْتُبُوهُ وَلْيَكْتُبْ بَيْنَكُمْ كاتِبٌ بِالْعَدْلِ وَلا يَأْبَ كاتِبٌ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ كَما عَلَّمَهُ اللَّهُ فَلْيَكْتُبْ وَلْيُمْلِلِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ الْحَقُّ وَلْيَتَّقِ اللَّهَ رَبَّهُ وَلا يَبْخَسْ مِنْهُ شَيْئاً فَإِنْ كانَ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ الْحَقُّ سَفِيهاً أَوْ ضَعِيفاً أَوْ لا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يُمِلَّ هُوَ فَلْيُمْلِلْ وَلِيُّهُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَاسْتَشْهِدُوا شَهِيدَيْنِ مِنْ رِجالِكُمْ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُونا رَجُلَيْنِ فَرَجُلٌ وَامْرَأَتانِ مِمَّنْ تَرْضَوْنَ مِنَ الشُّهَداءِ أَنْ تَضِلَّ إِحْداهُما فَتُذَكِّرَ إِحْداهُمَا الْأُخْرى وَلا يَأْبَ الشُّهَداءُ إِذا ما دُعُوا وَلا تَسْئَمُوا أَنْ تَكْتُبُوهُ صَغِيراً أَوْ كَبِيراً إِلى أَجَلِهِ ذلِكُمْ أَقْسَطُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَأَقْوَمُ لِلشَّهادَةِ وَأَدْنى أَلاَّ تَرْتابُوا إِلاَّ أَنْ تَكُونَ تِجارَةً حاضِرَةً تُدِيرُونَها بَيْنَكُمْ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُناحٌ أَلاَّ تَكْتُبُوها وَأَشْهِدُوا إِذا تَبايَعْتُمْ وَلا يُضَارَّ كاتِبٌ وَلا شَهِيدٌ وَإِنْ تَفْعَلُوا فَإِنَّهُ فُسُوقٌ بِكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ (٢٨٢) ولولا أن هذه الآية تستدعي سفرا وحدها لذكرت بعض تفسيرها. والغرض إنما هو التنبيه والإشارة، وقد ذكر أيضا العادل، وهو آخذ رأس ماله من غريمه بلا زيادة ولا نقصان. ثم ختم السورة بهذه الخاتمة العظيمة، التي هي من كنز تحت عرشه. والشيطان يفر من البيت الذي تقرأ فيه، وفيها من العلوم والمعارف وقواعد الإسلام وأصول الإيمان، ومقامات الإحسان ما يستدعي بيانه كتابا مفردا.