Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (96)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(215) “They ask you what they should spend. Say, ‘Whatever wealth you spend should be for parents, close relatives, orphans, the poor, and the stranded traveler. Whatever good you do, Allah certainly knows it.’”

That is, they ask you about charitable spending. This question encompasses both what is to be spent and those upon whom it is to be spent. He answered both, saying: “Whatever wealth you spend”—that is, whether little or much—the people most deserving of it and most entitled to be given priority are those who have the greatest rights over you. These are one’s parents, to whom dutifulness is obligatory and disobedience forbidden. Supporting them financially is among the greatest forms of dutifulness, while failing to do so is among the gravest forms of disobedience. For this reason, a child of sufficient means is obligated to support them.

After one’s parents come one’s closest relatives, according to their respective degrees of kinship: the nearest, then the next nearest, in accordance with their closeness and need. Spending on them is both charity and the maintenance of family ties.

“And orphans”—these are minors who have no provider. They are likely to be in need because they are unable to manage their own affairs and have lost the one who would provide for them. Out of mercy and kindness toward them, Allah therefore enjoined His servants to care for them.

“And the poor”—these are people in need and those suffering dire necessity, whose need has left them without means. They should therefore be given financial support to meet their needs and free them from want.

“And the stranded traveler”—that is, a stranger stranded away from his homeland. He should be assisted on his journey with enough provision to reach his destination.

After Allah Most High singled out these categories because of their acute need, He made the ruling general, saying: “Whatever good you do”—whether charity given to these people or others, or indeed any act of obedience or means of drawing near to Allah, for all such deeds fall under the designation of good—“Allah certainly knows it.” He will reward you for it and preserve it for you, each according to his intention and sincerity, the amount he spends, whether great or small, the severity of the need for it, and the magnitude of its impact and benefit.

﴿٢١٥﴾ ﴿يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنْفِقُونَ قُلْ مَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالأقْرَبِينَ وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ﴾ . أي: يسألونك عن النفقة، وهذا يعم السؤال عن المنفق والمنفق عليه، فأجابهم عنهما فقال: ﴿قُلْ مَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ﴾ أي: مال قليل أو كثير، فأولى الناس به وأحقهم بالتقديم، أعظمهم حقا عليك، وهم الوالدان الواجب برهما، والمحرم عقوقهما، ومن أعظم برهما، النفقة عليهما، ومن أعظم العقوق، ترك الإنفاق عليهما، ولهذا كانت النفقة عليهما واجبة، على الولد الموسر، ومن بعد الوالدين الأقربون، على اختلاف طبقاتهم، الأقرب فالأقرب، على حسب القرب والحاجة، فالإنفاق عليهم صدقة وصلة، ﴿وَالْيَتَامَى﴾ وهم الصغار الذين لا كاسب لهم، فهم في مظنة الحاجة لعدم قيامهم بمصالح أنفسهم، وفقد الكاسب، فوصى الله بهم العباد، رحمة منه بهم ولطفا، ﴿وَالْمَسَاكِينِ﴾ وهم أهل الحاجات، وأرباب الضرورات الذين أسكنتهم الحاجة، فينفق عليهم، لدفع حاجاتهم وإغنائهم. ﴿وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ﴾ أي: الغريب المنقطع به في غير بلده، فيعان على سفره بالنفقة، التي توصله إلى مقصده. ولما خصص الله تعالى هؤلاء الأصناف، لشدة الحاجة، عمم تعالى فقال: ﴿وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ﴾ من صدقة على هؤلاء وغيرهم، بل ومن جميع أنواع الطاعات والقربات، لأنها تدخل في اسم الخير، ﴿فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ﴾ فيجازيكم عليه، ويحفظه لكم، كل على حسب نيته وإخلاصه، وكثرة نفقته وقلتها، وشدة الحاجة إليها، وعظم وقعها ونفعها.