It was also said: “And believes in the finest reward” means that he believes in recompense—that is, he is certain that Allah, Exalted is He, will compensate him. This was the narration of ‘Ikrimah from Ibn ‘Abbas.

Qatadah, Muqatil, and al-Kalbi said: it means Allah’s promise that He has promised to reward him.

“For whoever gives, is mindful of Allah, and believes in the finest reward, We will ease him toward ease. But as for whoever is miserly, considers himself self-sufficient, and denies the finest reward, We will ease him toward hardship.” (7–10)

“We will ease him”: We shall prepare him in this world “toward ease”—that is, toward the easy course, which is to act in a manner pleasing to Allah, Exalted is He. “But as for whoever is miserly” in spending for good, “and considers himself self-sufficient” from Allah’s reward, having no desire for it, “and denies the finest reward, We will ease him toward hardship”: We shall prepare him for evil, by bringing it about through his hands until he does that which does not please Allah, thereby deserving the Fire. Muqatil said: We shall make it difficult for him to do any good.

It was narrated to us from ‘Ali, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he said: “There is no soul except that Allah has written (1) its place in Paradise or the Fire.” A man said, “Should we not then rely upon what has been written for us and abandon deeds?” He said: “No; rather, do deeds, for everyone will be facilitated toward that for which he was created. As for the people of misery, they will be facilitated to do the deeds of the people of misery; and as for the people of happiness, they will be facilitated to do the deeds of the people of happiness.” Then he recited: “For whoever gives, is mindful of Allah, and believes in the finest reward, We will ease him toward ease. But as for whoever is miserly, considers himself self-sufficient, and denies the finest reward, We will ease him toward hardship.” (2)

It was said that this was revealed concerning Abu Bakr al-Siddiq: he bought Bilal from Umayyah ibn Khalaf for a cloak and ten uqiyyahs (ounces), then set him free. So Allah, Exalted is He, revealed: “By the night as it envelops” up to His saying, “Surely your efforts are diverse”—meaning, the efforts of Abu Bakr and Umayyah. (3)

‘Ali ibn Hujr narrated from Ishaq, from Abu Najih, from ‘Ata’, who said: A man from the Ansar had a date palm, and he had a neighbor. Some of its unripe dates would fall into his neighbor’s home, and the neighbor’s children would take some of them. He complained of this to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: “Sell it to me in exchange for a date palm in Paradise.” But he refused. He then went out and met Abu al-Dahdah, who said to him, “Would you sell it for the garden?”—meaning, an enclosed garden belonging to him. He said to him, “It is yours.” Abu al-Dahdah then came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, “O Messenger of Allah, will you buy it from me in exchange for a date palm in Paradise?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “It is yours.” Then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called the neighbor of the Ansari