Quran Garden

Session 291

Chapter 2

Verse 262

Those who spend their wealth in God’s cause, and then do not follow their spending with reminders of their benevolence or hurtful words, will have their rewards with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve. (Chapter 2: Verse 262)

Allah is warning you: when you spend your money in His cause, beware of thinking that you are doing the poor and needy a favor.  Beware of bragging to others of what you did.  Most importantly, do not remind the person you helped of your deed. 

It is from the etiquettes of faith to completely forget that you gifted something to someone in need or spent money to help.  You should act as if your charity never happened to begin with.  You should not tell family members about your help, especially your children and the children of the poor man or woman.  Why? Because children may not understand the logic behind charity.  For example, if I helped a neighbor in trouble with some money or food, and my little son knew about it, he may bring it up during play with the neighbor’s child.  My son may say hurtful words about the family finances if he gets into a fight with the neighbor’s kid. 

Allah is making it clear to you not to follow your help –whether it was financial or otherwise- with bragging, reminders of your favor, or hurtful words.  Allah wants to foster the spirit of cooperation and love not that of resentment and anger.  If you help your friend with money and then make him or her feel burdened or humiliated, he or she will not only hate that money, but he or she will also resent you.  There is an adage we use here in Egypt that says: “fear the evil of the one you have helped.”

I have had many people come to me and complain: “Can you believe this! I have helped so and so many times and now look how he treats me.”  My answer to those people is: “it serves you right that he would deny the good that you did!  Had you done it for God’s sake, you would have reaped the full reward.  But since you did your favor to be remembered and recognized by others, then this is what you get.” 

In the previous verse, verse 261 of ‘The Cow’, Allah opened the hearts of the believers to giving.  He, the All-Wise, gave you the example of one good seed sprouting a plant carrying over 700 seeds.  Allah assured you that your wealth would not decrease by giving; rather, it increases just as a farmer’s crop increases when he or she plants seeds in fertile ground. 

In the verse under study, Allah clarifies the pitfalls that could spoil your harvest: this happens when you accompany your charity with reminders of your favor, and hurtful words whether in public or private.  Such actions rob the poor of the feelings of solidarity and appreciation and foster the feelings of hate and resentment.  God says:

Those who spend their wealth in God’s cause, and then do not follow their spending with reminders of their benevolence or hurtful words, will have their rewards with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve. (Chapter 2: Verse 262)

Here we should study the intricacies of the Quranic text; more specifically, the use of the word “then.”  The verse would have read perfectly fine if it said ‘Those who spend their wealth in God’s cause, and do not follow their spending with reminders of their benevolence or hurtful words.’  But God chose to include the word “then” so the verse now reads: “Those who spend their wealth in God’s cause, and then do not follow their spending with reminders of their benevolence or hurtful words.”  What is the significance, you may ask? We answer that Allah is alerting you to be careful with your words and actions not only at the time of your gift, but days, weeks, or even years later.  Spending must never be accompanied with or followed by hurtful words or reminders of the favor.  With time, you may learn something new about the person you helped; you may see him or her do something you disapprove, but that should not be an excuse to spoil your gift.  The poet Shawqi wrote:

Have you ever held a debt in your life? 

Have you felt resentment in your heart?

Have you had someone remind you

of the favor by day and throughout the night?

That is life and these are its burdens

It makes carrying a load of steel and iron feel light

So do not burden those you helped with reminders and hurtful words.  Allah, the All-Generous, assures you that if you help others for His sake, and without harm, you will be rewarded very handsomely.  He alone, the ever-present and the most Competent will take care of you. 

As for those who follow their charity with reminders and harms, it shows that they did not have God at heart.  They sought their reward from the weak, and not from the Lord of the weak.  God is the One who brought us into existence, and He is the One who grants us wealth and takes it away.  Allah is the ultimate provider, not you or the rich.  So when you help the weak and distressed, you are, in fact, giving on behalf of God. 

Once, our beloved Prophet came into his daughter’s room and found her cleaning and burnishing a coin into a shine.  He asked: ‘Fatima, what are you doing?’ She replied: I am polishing this coin before I give it to charity.  He asked: ‘why?’ She said:  ‘because I know that charity passes through God’s hand before it falls into the hand of the poor.’

The verse ends with another assurance for the believers.  God says: “no fear for them, nor will they grieve.”  Fear usually comes from external sources.  Allah explains that there is often a third party involved in charity.  It is usually a person who has a genuine concern for the giver.  He or she may say: “You know, you should think about your family first.  Save your money for the dark days ahead.  Leave something for your children.”  Keep in mind that if you spend in God’s cause, God guarantees you prosperity, blessing, and protection.  You should not fear the present, and you should feel assured that you will not grieve about your charity in the future.   

Here I want to take a few moments to discuss true prosperity, blessing, and protection.  People often think about prosperity in the form of wealth and income.  If you make a lot of money, people see you as prosperous and lucky.  This is what I call ‘positive income.’  However, most people overlook the true blessings of ‘negative income’ which often far exceed those of earning more money. 

This is best explained by a real-life example.  Suppose a man –who is not very honest in his dealings- earns $50 a day, and he just got a raise of another $10.  He goes home happy, only to find his daughter suffering from high fever.  His wife is worried because she just heard about an outbreak of Typhoid fever on the news.  God throws worry and doubts into the father’s heart.  He rushes his daughter to the doctor who does blood tests and x-rays that cost over $190.  The tests are inconclusive.  The kid returns home, goes to sleep and she wakes up the next day with no fever. 

Another man, who is God conscious, earns $25 a day; he goes home to find his daughter suffering from high fever.  God throws tranquillity into the father’s heart.  He asks his wife to make some hot tea and lemon for the child, and give her some Aspirin.  The kid goes to sleep, and she wakes up the next day with no fever. 

Allah cured both kids, but it cost the first man over 3 days of income and a sleepless night; while the second man got away with a few pennies and peace of mind.  Who is the richer man? Which man provided his daughter with true security? Superficial people believe the first man to be lucky and fortunate, where –in reality- the second man is the one who is truly blessed.  Allah, the All-merciful, can get you out of hardship without the need to spend, worry or grieve.  Allah guarantees you prosperity and protection in this world and the next if you keep Him first and foremost in your mind.  He says:

Those who spend their wealth in God’s cause, and then do not follow their spending with reminders of their benevolence or hurtful words, will have their rewards with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve. (Chapter 2: Verse 262)