The third directive is to spend in the way of God. This means that just as a person spends on himself the blessings bestowed upon him by God, he should also spend them on his fellow brethren after fulfilling his personal and business needs. It is evident from the Quran that two things are required for a person if he is to become a true servant of God: Firstly, one’s relationship with God should be established on right footings. Secondly, this relationship with other human beings should also be established on right footings. The first thing is achieved through the prayer which is the foremost expression of one’s love for God, and the second through spending in the way of God for this is the foremost expression of one’s love for one’s fellow human beings. The reward for this spending is also God’s love because whatever one spends he has it saved in the heavens, and in the words of the Prophet Jesus (sws), his heart too remains occupied at this place, (Matthew, 6:19-21). The Quran has urged man to this at various instances in very effective styles. At one instance, it says:

وَأَنفِقُوا مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنِي إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ (10:63)

And spend of that which We have given you before death befalls any of you and he says: “Lord! Why did you give me such a brief respite that I may have given in charity and [as a result] could have been among your pious people.” (63:10)

This spending in the way of God is the right of one’s relatives, orphans and the needy which must necessarily be fulfilled. In the verses of the Quran under discussion, this fact is clearly mentioned. It is evident from this mention that any slackness in fulfilling this right can make a person a criminal who extorts the rights of people. Thus, at another instance, the Quran has clearly stated that if a person starts amassing wealth while remaining indifferent to these rights, then this is hoarding and its punishment is the fire of Hell – from which every believer should seek refuge with the Almighty:

وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلاَ يُنفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ يَوْمَ يُحْمَى عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوَى بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُهُمْ هَـذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لأَنفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُواْ مَا كُنتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ (9: 34-35)

And those that hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of God, give them glad tidings of a horrible punishment on the day when these [treasures of] gold and silver shall be heated in the fire of Hell, and their foreheads, sides, and backs branded with them. “These are the riches which you hoarded. Taste then what you have been hoarding.” (9:34-35)

It is for this very nature of the directive that if people who are bound to fulfil this right are for some reason compelled to disregard the needs of a deserving person at some time and it is expected that in future their circumstances would improve, then they should kindly treat the deserving person and promise him with help in future. The words وَإِمَّا تُعْرِضَنَّ عَنْهُمُ ابْتِغَاء رَحْمَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكَ تَرْجُوهَا فَقُل لَّهُمْ قَوْلاً مَّيْسُورًا point to this aspect.

Whether such spending is done in open or in secret, the Almighty says that every bit of it is in His knowledge. This means that He will also definitely reward a person as per His promise:

وَمَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّن نَّفَقَةٍ أَوْ نَذَرْتُم مِّن نَّذْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ يَعْلَمُهُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ إِن تُبْدُواْ الصَّدَقَاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَرَاء فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَاللّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ (2: 270-271)

And [rest assured] that whatever you spend and whatever vows you make [you shall be fully rewarded for them] because God is fully aware of them and [those who turn away from this guidance of God and] wrong their souls will have none to help them [from the wrath of God]. If you spend openly then this too is a good thing, but to give to the poor and to give it secretly is better. [Through this], God will wipe out your sins and [there is absolutely no doubt that] God has knowledge of all your deeds. (2: 270-271)

Consequently, the Quran says that the Almighty blesses this spending and with His favour transforms a mole into a mountain:

مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّئَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ (261:2)

Those who spend their wealth in the way of God can be compared to a grain of corn which brings forth seven ears, each bearing a hundred grains. God [in accordance with His wisdom] provides in abundance [in this manner] to whom He wills; And [in reality] God is munificent and all-knowing. (2:261)

Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

This is a parable which depicts the manifold increase in the reward for spending wealth in the way of God. It is said that just as seven ears sprout from a corn and each ear will have a hundred grains, similarly the reward of a deed given to a person can be up to seven hundred times. Some Hadith narratives also explain this theme. It is reported that the Prophet (sws) said that the reward of a good deed ranges from ten times to seven hundred times. This variation obviously depends on the nature of the deed, the time in which it is done and the internal and external circumstances of those who do the deed. If a good deed is done in difficult circumstances and with straitened resources, it will earn more reward and if a good deed is done in times of ease and with ample resources, its reward will be relatively less. The feelings of the people who do the deed also count. A good deed may be done with complete willingness of heart and enthusiasm and it may also be done half-heartedly and under compulsion. Obviously both would earn different reward. The verse depicts the maximum reward and it is said: “God provides in abundance [in this manner] to whom He wills.” This is a reference to the principle we have alluded to. Allah’s will is never against justice and wisdom. Hence this manifold reward is willed by Him only in favour of those who prove themselves worthy in accordance with the principle set for them.[1]

This is further explained by saying that if this spending is done to please God and to discipline the soul, then this is the example of the person who plants an orchard not on land which is washed away by floods but on such high and even ground where the climate is also favourable so that if there is rain it bears double the fruit and if there is no rain, a light drizzle is sufficient to bear fruit because of conducive land and climatic conditions:

وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمُ ابْتِغَاء مَرْضَاتِ اللّهِ وَتَثْبِيتًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ جَنَّةٍ بِرَبْوَةٍ أَصَابَهَا وَابِلٌ فَآتَتْ أُكُلَهَا ضِعْفَيْنِ فَإِن لَّمْ يُصِبْهَا وَابِلٌ فَطَلٌّ وَاللّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ (2: 265)

And those who spend their wealth to please God and to firmly attach their own souls [to the truth] are like an orchard which is on a high and level ground: if a heavy shower falls upon it, it yields up twice its normal produce; and even if a heavy shower does not fall on it, a drizzle is enough [to produce fruit. Keep this example in mind] and [rest assured that] God knows whatever you do. (2:265)

However, this reward is for spending done from one’s clean and pure wealth and which is not accompanied by hurting the person on whom it is spent and by emphasizing it as a favour. Presenting to God something which a person does not like for himself is a very mean act. Whatever we have is given to us by God. If we give something to Him in His way and adopt a mean attitude in this, then in the words of Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi, there is a strong chance that a person instead of pleasing the Almighty and disciplining his soul ends up distancing himself from the Almighty. Similarly, if a person keeps boasting of his favour on the recipient and hurts him, then this means that he does not have magnanimity because after being blessed with the motivation of spending on the poor such an attitude can only be adopted by petty-minded people – people who think that those on whom they have spent should always live under the burden of their generosity. Consequently, when this wish of theirs is not fulfilled, they always want to humiliate that person by taunting him. The Quran says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَنفِقُواْ مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّا أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ الأَرْضِ وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُواْ الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِآخِذِيهِ إِلاَّ أَن تُغْمِضُواْ فِيهِ وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ (2: 267)

Believers! Spend from your pure wealth and from that which We have brought out of the earth for you, and don’t even think of spending something worthless [in the way of God] which you yourselves would not receive except with closed eyes. And you should know that God does not need [such spending from you] and He is glorious. (2:267)

At another place, the Quran says:

الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ ثُمَّ لاَ يُتْبِعُونَ مَا أَنفَقُواُ مَنًّا وَلاَ أَذًى لَّهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوفٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن صَدَقَةٍ يَتْبَعُهَآ أَذًى وَاللّهُ غَنِيٌّ حَلِيمٌ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تُبْطِلُواْ صَدَقَاتِكُم بِالْمَنِّ وَالأذَى كَالَّذِي يُنفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاء النَّاسِ وَلاَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْدًا لاَّ يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُواْ وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ …أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ لَهُ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَاء فَأَصَابَهَا إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ (2: 262-266)

Those who spend their wealth in the way of God and do not follow this spending by reminders of their generosity and insults have their reward with their Lord; they shall have nothing to fear [there] nor will they be sorrowful. A kind word and forgiveness [at unpleasant instances] is better than charity followed by inflicting hurt. And [you should know that] God is self-sufficient [from such charity] and [on such an attitude from you, He would have deprived you; however, besides this] He is also very gracious. Believers! Do not mar your charity by reminders of generosity and by hurting [the recipients] like those who spend their wealth to show off before others and believe neither in God nor in the Last Day. So such men are like a rock covered with soil: a shower falls upon it and leaves it hard and bare. [On the Day of Judgement], they shall gain nothing from what they earned. And [in reality], God does not guide such ungrateful people … Would any one of you who has an orchard of dates and grapes underneath which streams of water flow, in which are fruits of all kinds and he grows old and his children are feeble wish that this orchard be blasted by a fiery whirlwind and it burn to ashes? In this manner does God explain to you His revelations so that you may reflect. (2:262-266)

Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi, while explaining these verses, writes:

This is the parable of a person who has planted an orchard of grapes beneath which a canal flows to keep it blossoming. There were other types of fruit also in the orchard and it also produced various crops. The owner of the orchard grew old and all his children were of tender age. Meanwhile a fiery whirlwind passed through the orchard and totally destroyed it. The Quran says that a similar fate will await the charity spending of a person who did not protect it from destructive calamities. The lightning which destroys their residence is hidden right in their own precincts and it will appear exactly at the time when they will not be left with the option of obtaining what they have lost.[2]

In the verses of Surah Bani Israil under discussion, the Almighty has explained that only people who adopt a balanced attitude in their spending and consider the sustenance they have been given by God a blessing and not a result of their own planning are afforded with the urge and will to spend in this manner. Consequently, two further things are stated.

Firstly, wealth should not be squandered for it is a blessing of God and the right attitude in this regard is that a person should spend it in a balanced and efficient way and whatever he saves, he should consider that he has been entrusted with it as a share for its rightful recipients and with full caution discharge this duty of handing it over to them. The reason for this is that a person who does not adopt a balanced attitude regarding his needs is not able to even find time from his pastimes and pursuits to fulfil such duties. The Quran says that people who squander their wealth are Satan’s brothers and Satan is very ungrateful to his Lord. He allures people to his ways and entices them to spend on things which earn the displeasure of God. While explaining the balanced attitude in this matter, the Qur’an says that a person should neither be miserly nor prodigal so that when he needs his wealth, he ends up yearning for wealth and is reduced to indigence; on the other hand, he should spend in a balanced way and always save something so that he is able to help others whenever needed. The Quranic words used for this are: َولاَ تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى عُنُقِكَ وَلاَ تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَّحْسُورًا .

Secondly, it is the wisdom and will of God which governs the financial circumstances of a person. He may be blessed in abundance in this regard or he may have to live hand to mouth. The only responsibility of a person is that he should work diligently to create opportunities for his livelihood. People who do not understand this, not only do not spend on others, but many a time become so callous as to even kill their children for fear of poverty. The Quranic verse of Surah Bani Israil quoted above which mentions this specially alludes to the evil Arab custom of burying alive infant girls in the time of jahiliyyah. The psyche behind this was that since a woman is not an earning member of the family, why should one bear the burden of her up-bringing. The Quran forbade this heinous practice and said that it is the Almighty who provides for these innocent children and also for those who indulge in this practice. They should rest assured that the Almighty is ever-watching the circumstances His servants are going through; He is not un-aware of them.

At another instance, this aspect is explained thus in the Qur’an:

الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاء وَاللّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلاً وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ يُؤتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَاء وَمَن يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلاَّ أُوْلُواْ الأَلْبَابِ (268:2-269)

Satan threatens you with poverty and tempts you to [spend on] lewd things and God promises you His forgiveness and His bounty and God is munificent and all-knowing. He [according to His law] gives an awareness of [this promise of] wisdom to whom He pleases, and he who receives this awareness indeed receives a treasure of great good. Yet none but men of sense receive a reminder [from such things]. (2:268-269)

(Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)

(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)

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[1]. Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Quran, vol. 1, 613.

[2]. Ibid., vol. 1, 619.