Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Baqarah -> Shaytanic Doubts Concerning Spending in Charity |
Allah said, ﴿الشَّيْطَـنُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَآءِ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلاً وَاللَّهُ وَسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴾ (Shaytan threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha'; whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower.) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said, «إِنَّ لِلشَّيْطَانِ لَمَّةً بِابْنِ آدَمَ، وَلِلْمَلَكِ لَمَّةً، فَأَمَّا لَمَّةُ الشَّيطَانِ فَإِيعَادٌ بِالشَّرِّ، وَتَكْذِيبٌ بِالْحَقِّ، وَ أَمَّا لَمَّةُ الْمَلَكِ فَإِيعَادٌ بِالْخَيْرِ، وَتَصْدِيقٌ بِالْحَقِّ، فَمَنْ وَجَدَ ذَلِكَ فَلْيَعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ مِنَ اللهِ، فَلْيَحْمَدِ اللهَ، وَمَنْ وَجَدَ الْأُخْرَى فَلْيَتَعَوَّذْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَان» (Shaytan has an effect on the son of Adam, and the angel also has an effect. As for the effect of Shaytan, it is by his threatening with evil repercussions and rejecting the truth. As for the effect of the angel, it is by his promise of a good end and believing in the truth. Whoever finds the latter, let him know that it is coming from Allah and let him thank Allah for it. Whoever finds the former, let him seek refuge - with Allah - from Shaytan.) The Prophet then recited, ﴿الشَّيْطَـنُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَآءِ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلاً﴾ (Shaytan threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha'; whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty) This is the narration that At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i collected in the book of Tafsir in their Sunan collections. Allah said, ﴿الشَّيْطَـنُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ﴾ (Shaytan threatens you with poverty), so that you hold on to whatever you have and refrain from spending it in Allah's pleasure. ﴿وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَآءِ﴾ (And orders you to commit Fahsha'), meaning, "Shaytan forbids you from spending in charity because of the false fear of becoming poor, and he encourages evil deeds, sins, indulging in what is prohibited, and immoral conduct.'' Allah said, ﴿وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ﴾ (Whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself) instead of the evil that Shaytan enjoins on you, ﴿وَفَضْلاً﴾ (And Bounty) as opposed to the poverty that Shaytan frightens you with, ﴿وَاللَّهُ وَسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾ (And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower.)
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