(34–35) “For every community We appointed a rite of sacrifice, so that they might mention the name of Allah over the livestock He has provided them. Your God is One God, so submit yourselves to Him alone. And give glad tidings to the humble: those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, who patiently endure whatever befalls them, who establish prayer, and who spend from what We have provided them.”
That is, We appointed a rite for every one of the former nations. That is: vie with one another in good deeds and hasten to perform them, that We may see which of you is best in deeds. The wisdom behind Allah’s appointing a rite for every nation is that His name be remembered and attention be directed toward thanking Him. Hence He says: “So that they might mention the name of Allah over the livestock He has provided them. Your God is One God.” Although the forms of the revealed laws differ, they all agree upon this fundamental principle: that Allah alone is God, that He alone be worshipped, and that associating partners with Him be abandoned.
Hence He says: “So submit yourselves to Him alone”—that is, yield and surrender to Him and no one else, for submission to Him is the path leading to the Abode of Peace. “And give glad tidings to the humble” of good in this world and the Hereafter. A humble person is one who is submissive before his Lord, surrenders to His command, and is humble toward His servants.
He then mentions the qualities of the humble: “Those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned”—that is, out of fear and reverence. Because of this, they forsake what is forbidden, fearing and dreading Allah alone. “Who patiently endure whatever befalls them” of hardship, adversity, and every form of harm. They show no resentment at any of it; rather, they remain patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, hoping for His reward and awaiting their recompense.
“Who establish prayer”—that is, they maintain it properly, soundly, and completely by performing its obligatory and recommended elements and fulfilling the outward and inward worship it entails. “And who spend from what We have provided them.” This includes every obligatory form of spending, such as zakat, expiations, supporting wives, slaves, and relatives, as well as recommended spending, such as charitable giving in all its forms.
The word min (“from”) is used in its partitive sense, so that it may be known how easy that which Allah has commanded and encouraged truly is: it is only a small portion of what Allah has provided. The servant would have no power to acquire it had Allah not facilitated it for him and bestowed it upon him. So, you who have received provision from Allah’s bounty, spend from what Allah has provided you; Allah will spend upon you and increase you from His bounty.