(177) “Righteousness does not consist in turning your faces toward the east or the west. Rather, righteousness is found in those who believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Scripture, and the prophets; who give wealth—despite their love for it—to relatives, orphans, the needy, the stranded traveler, those who ask, and for freeing those in bondage; who establish prayer and give zakat; who fulfill their covenant when they make one; and who remain patient in adversity, affliction, and in the heat of battle. It is they who are true, and it is they who are truly God-fearing.”
Allah Most High says, “Righteousness does not consist in turning your faces toward the east or the west.” That is, this is not the righteousness expected of His servants. Excessive inquiry and argument about it are therefore fruitless toil that yields nothing but discord and disagreement. This resembles the Prophet’s statement, peace and blessings be upon him: “The strong man is not the one who overcomes others in wrestling; rather, the strong man is one who controls himself when angry,” and similar statements.
“Rather, righteousness is found in one who believes in Allah”—that is, believes that He is the one God, possessed of every attribute of perfection and free of every deficiency.
“And the Last Day” encompasses everything that will occur after death and that Allah has related in His Book or His Messenger has related.
“And the angels” are those whom Allah has described to us in His Book and whom His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, has described. “And the Scripture” means all the scriptures Allah sent down to His Messenger, the greatest of which is the Quran. One therefore believes in the accounts and rulings they contain. “And the prophets” means all of them generally, and especially their Seal and finest, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
“And gives wealth”—wealth here comprises any property a person may own, whether little or much. That is, he gives wealth “despite his love for it,” meaning his love of wealth. This indicates that wealth is naturally dear to people and that a servant can scarcely bring himself to part with it.
When someone gives it despite loving it, seeking thereby to draw near to Allah Most High, this is proof of his faith. Giving wealth despite loving it includes giving charity while healthy and covetous, hoping for prosperity and fearing poverty. Likewise, charity given from meager means is more virtuous, for in such circumstances one is more inclined to retain wealth because of the destitution and poverty one fears may befall him.
It also includes giving the choicest part of one’s wealth and what one loves from it, as Allah Most High says: “You will never attain righteousness until you spend from that which you love.” All of these are instances of giving wealth despite loving it.
He then mentions those upon whom it should be spent. They are the people most deserving of your kindness and benevolence. They include relatives whose misfortunes cause you pain and whose happiness brings you joy, and who support one another and jointly bear liability for blood money. Among the finest and most appropriate forms of righteousness is therefore consistently caring for one’s relatives through material and verbal kindness, in accordance with their closeness and need.
They also include orphans, who have no provider and possess no strength by which they can dispense with help. This is part of the mercy of Allah [Most High] toward His servants and indicates that He is more merciful to them than a parent is to his child. Allah has enjoined His servants and made it a duty upon their wealth to show kindness to children who have lost their fathers, so that they may be like children who have not lost either parent. Moreover, recompense corresponds to deeds: whoever shows mercy to another person’s orphan will have mercy shown to his own orphan.
“And the needy” are those whom need has rendered helpless and poverty has humbled. They have a right over the wealthy to have their deprivation removed or alleviated through whatever the wealthy can afford and readily provide.
“And the stranded traveler” is a stranger cut off from his resources outside his homeland. Allah urges His servants to give him enough wealth to assist him on his journey, since he is likely to be in need and faces many expenses. Anyone whom Allah has blessed with a homeland and comfort and upon whom He has bestowed His bounty must therefore show mercy, according to his ability, to his brother who is a stranger in these circumstances—even if only by provisioning him, furnishing him with the means of travel, or relieving him of any unjust imposition or other hardship that befalls him.
“And those who ask” means people confronted by a need that requires them to ask, such as someone burdened with compensation arising from an injury, a levy imposed by those in authority, or someone soliciting people to construct public works such as mosques, schools, bridges, and the like. Such a person has a right to assistance even if he is wealthy.
“And for freeing those in bondage” includes directly emancipating slaves, assisting in their emancipation, giving money to a slave under a manumission contract so that he can pay his master, and ransoming prisoners held by unbelievers or oppressors.
“Who establish prayer and give zakat.” It has been explained repeatedly that Allah Most High pairs prayer with zakat because they are the finest acts of worship and the most complete means of drawing near to Him. Together they comprise worship with the heart, body, and wealth. Through them faith is weighed, and the degree of certainty a person possesses becomes known.
“Who fulfill their covenant when they make one.” A covenant is an obligation either imposed by Allah or assumed by a servant himself. This includes all duties owed to Allah, since Allah has imposed them upon His servants, who have committed themselves to them, assumed responsibility for them, and are obliged to fulfill them. It also includes the duties owed to other people that Allah has imposed, as well as obligations a servant assumes for himself, such as oaths, vows, and the like.
“And those who are patient in adversity”—that is, poverty. A poor person needs patience in many respects, for he suffers continual emotional and physical pain that others do not experience.
He suffers when the wealthy enjoy things beyond his means; when he or his dependents go hungry; when he eats food that does not suit his taste; when he is unclothed or nearly so; when he considers his present circumstances and the future he anticipates and must prepare for; and when he is exposed to cold that he has no means of warding off.
All these and similar circumstances are afflictions that he is commanded to bear patiently, seeking Allah’s reward through them and hoping for His recompense.
“And affliction” means illness in all its various forms, including fevers, sores, wind-related disorders, and pain in any limb—even a tooth or finger. These require patience, for the soul grows weak and the body suffers pain, which is extremely difficult to endure, especially when prolonged. One is therefore commanded to remain patient, seeking the reward of Allah [Most High].
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“And in the heat of battle”—that is, when fighting the enemies whom one has been commanded to fight. The clash of arms is exceedingly hard upon the soul, and a person becomes distressed at the prospect of being killed, wounded, or captured. Patience is therefore needed in such circumstances, while seeking reward and hoping for the recompense of Allah [Most High], who grants the victory and aid He has promised to those who remain patient.
“It is they”—those characterized by the sound beliefs mentioned, by deeds that are the fruits, proof, and light of faith, and by moral qualities that are a human being’s adornment and the essence of true humanity—“who are true” in their faith, for their deeds attest to the truth of their faith. “And it is they who are truly God-fearing,” because they have abandoned what is prohibited and performed what is commanded. These qualities comprise every virtue, whether explicitly or by necessary implication. Fulfilling one’s covenant encompasses the whole religion, and the acts of worship expressly mentioned in this verse are the greatest acts of worship. Whoever upholds them will uphold all others even more readily. These, then, are the righteous, the truthful, and the God-fearing.
It is well known what worldly and otherworldly rewards Allah has attached to these three qualities, the details of which cannot be set out in [such] a context.