Quran Garden

Session 292 (English Tafsir)

Chapter 2

Verses 263 & 264

A kind word and forgiveness is better than a charitable deed followed by harm. God is self-sufficient, forbearing. (Chapter 2: Verse 263)

In the previous verses, God spoke of charity and aid for the weak.  He also warned against following your charity with hurtful words and constant reminders.  But what if you do not have money to spare? Allah reminds you that generosity is not exclusive to material wealth.  You can donate your time, effort, or share your knowledge.  You can be charitable with something as simple as a smile or a kind word.  Prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him- said: ‘Guard yourself against Hellfire even by sharing a slice of fruit.  And if you do not have a slice, then share a nice, pleasant word.'

What is meant by “kind word" you may ask? The word “kind” is translated from the Arabic origin ‘Ma’aroof’ which means common or communal.  Its antonym is ‘Munkar’ which means repulsive or rejected.  As if good is naturally recognized and approved by the community, while evil is detested and rejected.  In a healthy society, acts of good are done publicly, while acts of evil are hidden. 

So if someone comes to you asking for help, make sure to treat him or her with kindness and respect.  Treat others in a way that does not leave room for hatred and resentment.   Even if the person in need came at you with persistence and rudeness, try to pardon and understand.  Why? Because a person in dire need is generally blinded by his or her condition; he or she perceives that all the people around can help and save the day.  A person in dire need may be harsh in language, so be patient and understanding. 

How many times have you personally stepped over the boundaries of your Lord in sin? Yet Allah forbears and forgives, and He gives you one chance after another.  He does not respond to your harshness and transgression in-kind, rather, Allah, the All-Merciful, shows you patience and forgiveness.  He says:

Those who have been graced with bounty and plenty should not swear that they will not give to their relatives, the poor, those who emigrated in God’s way: let them pardon and forgive. Wouldn’t you like for God to forgive you? God is most forgiving and merciful. (24:22)

Listen to the story of our beloved prophet Abraham and his guest.  He, peace be upon him, was very generous and hospitable.  It is said that he did not eat dinner unless there was a guest at his table.  One day a tired traveler walked in asking for rest and food.  Prophet Abraham welcomed him, and after conversing for a while, he found out that this man was an atheist.  Abraham got angry and told the man “I cannot have you at my table if you deny God.”  The man picked up his belongings and left.  Shortly after, the Arch Angel Gabriel came to Prophet Abraham and said: “God is displeased with you Abraham, He says to you: ‘This man has been a disbeliever for forty years, and for forty years I have been patient with him; I gave him food and provisions, yet you could not tolerate him for one evening at your table?’”  Prophet Abraham ran after the man until he caught up with him.  He said: ‘forgive me.  Please come back to my table.’  The traveler asked: ‘what happened!?’ Abraham replied: ‘My Lord scolded me for my inhospitality.’  The man marveled and said, "I am a disbeliever, and you are a prophet, yet your Lord scolded you for my sake!? Indeed this is a Lord that deserves to be worshipped. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.”

We all want God to forgive us and treat us with kindness.  Shouldn’t we forgive others, especially those in need?  

The verse ends with: “God is self-sufficient, forbearing” to remind you that Allah is free of need.  So when you deny help to others, you are not depriving God of anything, you are in fact depriving yourself of the reward of the All-Generous.  God says:

Ah! There you are, being invited to spend in the way of Allah; yet among you, there are those who are stingy; and whoever is stingy is stingy only to himself.  Allah is the All-sufficient, and you are the ones truly in need, and if you turn away He will replace you with another people, and they will not be like you. (47:38)

Let’s move to the next verse in ‘The Cow.’  God says:

You who believe, do not nullify your charitable deeds with reminders and hurtful words, like someone who spends his wealth showing off to people and not believing in God and the Last Day.  Such a person is like a smooth rock coated with soil: heavy rain falls and leaves it completely bare. Such people get no rewards for their works: God does not guide the disbelievers.  (Chapter 2: Verse 264)

Sadly, a person who follows his or her charity with bragging, hurtful words or reminders has wasted the reward.  In fact, the loss is twofold: the first loss is financial where his or her wealth is decreased because God will not replenish it.  The second loss, which is much worse, is deprivation of the reward in the hereafter. 

If you do good deeds so people would say: ‘look how generous; what a good person,’ then make sure to collect your reward from these people.  If you do good deeds purely for God’s sake, then expect your reward from the All-Generous.  Ask yourself: Where do I want my reward to come from?  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: ‘A person whom Allah had given riches will stand before God on the day of Judgment.  He will be shown his wealth, and he will recognize it.  The Almighty will ask: And what did you do with your wealth? The man will answer: I left no path in which You like money to be spent without spending for Your sake.  God will say: “You have lied - you spent so people would say: ‘He is generous.’  And so it was said.”  Then he will be ordered to into Hell-fire.

Another pitfall charitable people often fall into is the false expectation that God’s reward should show up immediately.  In other words, beware of saying: ‘I have spent in God’s cause, but He did not replenish or increase my wealth!’  We ask: Did you give to charity because you wanted more wealth, or did you purely give for God’s sake? He Almighty may test you by delaying your reward or may reserve your entire reward for the Hereafter when you would need it and benefit from it the most. 

This brings us back to the verse.  God says: “Such a person is like a smooth rock coated with soil: heavy rain falls and leaves it completely bare.”  The words “smooth rock” are translated from the Arabic origin “Safwan.”  It is the same word we use to describe the head of a bald man.  A large smooth rock covered with fertile soil may fool you into thinking that it will sprout all kinds of plants and crops.  But as soon as the wind blows or rain falls, the rock is stripped, and all that soil washes away.  So are the charitable deeds of people who spend for show, or who spend while looking down at others.  They may think that their deeds would amount to something in the hereafter, but they will be sorely disappointed.  God says: “Such people get no rewards for their works: God does not guide the disbelievers.“