(9–11) “O you who believe, let neither your wealth nor your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. Whoever does so—it is they who are the losers. * Spend from what We have provided you before death comes to one of you and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short while, so that I might give in charity and be among the righteous.’ * But Allah will never delay a soul once its appointed time has come. Allah is fully aware of what you do.”
The Most High commands His believing servants to remember Him frequently, for therein lie gain, success, and abundant good. He forbids them to allow their wealth and children to distract them from remembering Him. Most souls are naturally disposed to love wealth and children, and thus place this love before love of Allah; therein lies tremendous loss. The Most High therefore says, “Whoever does so”—that is, whoever is distracted by his wealth and children from remembering Allah—“it is they who are the losers”: those who lose eternal happiness and everlasting bliss because they preferred what perishes over what endures. The Most High says, “Your wealth and your children are only a trial, while with Allah is a tremendous reward.”
His words, “Spend from what We have provided you,” include obligatory expenditures, such as zakat, expiations (1), the maintenance of wives and slaves, and similar obligations. They also include recommended expenditures, such as spending wealth on every worthy cause. He said, “from what We have provided you,” to indicate that the Most High has not required His servants to spend an amount that would distress or burden them. Rather, He commanded them to give a portion (2) of what Allah has provided and made readily available to them (3), and whose means He facilitated for them.
They should therefore thank the One who gave them what they possess by sharing with their needy brothers, and they should hasten to do so before death overtakes them, for once death comes, a servant can no longer perform even an atom’s weight of good. He therefore says, “Before death comes to one of you and he says,” remorseful over what he neglected while he still had the opportunity and asking to be returned—something impossible: “My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short while”—that is, so that I might make amends for what I neglected—“so that I might give” from my wealth enough to save me from punishment and earn an abundant reward, “and be among the righteous” by carrying out everything commanded and avoiding everything forbidden. This includes Hajj and other deeds.
The time for this plea and wish has already passed, and the lost opportunity cannot be recovered. He therefore says, “But Allah will never delay a soul once its appointed time has come”—the time irrevocably decreed for it—“and Allah is fully aware of what you do” ⦗866⦘, whether good or evil. He will recompense you according to His knowledge of your intentions and deeds.
The commentary on Surah al-Munāfiqūn is complete.
All praise belongs to Allah.