(34–35) “O you who believe, indeed many of the rabbis and monks wrongfully consume people’s wealth and hinder others from the way of Allah. Those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah—give them tidings of a painful punishment. On the Day when it will be heated in the Fire of Hell and their foreheads, sides, and backs will be branded with it, they will be told: ‘This is what you hoarded for yourselves, so taste what you used to hoard.’”

This is a warning from Allah Most High to His believing servants concerning many of the rabbis and monks—that is, learned men and devout worshippers—who wrongfully consume people’s wealth, meaning without right, and hinder others from the way of Allah. If they receive stipends from people’s wealth, or if people give them some of their wealth, it is because of their knowledge and worship, and because they are rightly guided and guide others. Yet these people take it ⦗336⦘ while hindering others from the way of Allah. Their taking it in this manner is therefore an illicit gain and an injustice, for people gave them their wealth only so that they might direct them to the straight path.

Another way in which they wrongfully take people’s wealth is when they are paid to issue verdicts or judgments in their favor contrary to what Allah has revealed. Thus, with regard to these rabbis and monks, two practices must be guarded against: their wrongfully taking people’s wealth and their hindering people from the way of Allah.

“Those who hoard gold and silver”—that is, retain them—“and do not spend it in the way of Allah,” meaning the paths of goodness that lead to Allah. This is the forbidden form of hoarding: withholding wealth from obligatory expenditure, such as refusing to pay zakat from it, failing to provide the obligatory maintenance due to wives or relatives, or failing to spend in the way of Allah when doing so becomes obligatory.

“Give them tidings of a painful punishment.” He then explained it by saying: “On the Day when it will be heated”—meaning their wealth—“in the Fire of Hell.” Every dinar and dirham will be heated separately.

“Their foreheads, sides, and backs will be branded with it.” On the Day of Resurrection, whenever it cools, it will be heated again, throughout a day whose measure is fifty thousand years. They will be told by way of rebuke and blame: “This is what you hoarded for yourselves, so taste what you used to hoard.” He did not wrong you; rather, you wronged yourselves and subjected yourselves to this punishment through such hoarding.

In these two verses, Allah mentions two ways in which a person may deviate in handling wealth:

He may spend it on false purposes that bring him no benefit; rather, they bring him nothing but sheer harm. This includes spending wealth on sins and desires that do not assist one in obeying Allah, and spending it to hinder others from the way of Allah.

Or he may withhold his wealth from obligatory expenditures, for “prohibiting something entails commanding its opposite.”