and He found you in need and enriched you—and enriched others through you; such was the condition of the Messenger ﷺ.

He then said: “As for the orphan, do not oppress him” (al-Ḍuḥā 93:9). Remember how you yourself were once an orphan; therefore do not subdue the orphan. Rather, make things easy for him: if he cries, calm him; if he becomes angry, placate him; if he grows weary, lighten his burden, and so on.

“As for the orphan, do not oppress him, and as for the beggar, do not rebuke him” (93:9-10). From the context it is clear that this beggar is the one who asks for money, saying, “Give me something.” Do not scold him, for Allah has said, “And He found you in need and enriched” ⦗93:8⦘; once He has enriched you, do not drive the beggar away. Recall your own poverty and do not rebuke the beggar.

It is also possible that the verse intends both the beggar for money and the beggar for knowledge. Even the seeker of knowledge must not be rebuked; welcome him with an open heart, for were he not in need and did he not fear Allah, he would not have come to ask. So do not scold him—except when he is merely being argumentative; in that case there is no harm in rebuking him.

Suppose you explain a ruling and he responds to everything with, “Why is this forbidden and that permitted? Why did Allah prohibit usury yet allow trade? Why did He forbid nursing-mothers in marriage?” and countless similar questions. Such a contentious person may be rebuked, and it is permissible to be angry with him.

This is what the Messenger ﷺ did when a man from the Ansar and al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām quarreled in the valley where the floodwater ran. Al-Zubayr’s orchard lay upstream from the Ansari’s, so they disputed; the Ansari said to al-Zubayr, “Do not hold back the water …”