Expressing the insignificance and worthlessness of the worldly life, Allah
says,
[إِنَّمَا الْحَيَوةُ
الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ]
(This worldly life is only amusement and diversion.) which means that such is
its outcome, except for that which is done for the sake of Allah. Because of
this, Allah says,
[وَإِن تُؤْمِنُواْ
وَتَتَّقُواْ يُؤْتِكُمْ أُجُورَكُمْ وَلاَ يَسْـَلْكُمْ أَمْوَلَكُمْ]
(And if you believe and have Taqwa of Allah, He will grant you your rewards,
and will not ask from you (to sacrifice all of) your possessions.) meaning, He
is in no need of you, and asks you for nothing. He only ordained giving charity
from your wealth so that you would help your needy brothers. The benefit of that
would then come back to you, as well as the rewards. Allah then says,
[ؤإِن
يَسْـَلْكُمُوهَا فَيُحْفِكُمْ تَبْخَلُواْ]
(If He would demand of you all of it and urge you, you would withhold.)
meaning, if He pressures you much, you would become stingy.
[وَيُخْرِجْ
أَضْغَـنَكُمْ]
(And He will expose your (secret) ill--wills.) Qatadah said, "Allah knows
that extracting wealth (i.e., money from people) brings about ill-wills. ''
Indeed, Qatadah has said the truth, because money is dear to the people, and
they do not spend it except in things that are dearer to them than it. Allah
then says,
[هَآ أَنتُمْ
هَـؤُلاَءِ تُدْعَوْنَ لِتُنفِقُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَمِنكُم مَّن]
(Here you are now invited to spend in Allah's cause; but among you are those
who withhold (stingily).) meaning, they refuse to spend. Allah continues,
[يَبْخَلُ وَمَن
يَبْخَلْ فَإِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَن]
(And whoever acts stingily is but stingy toward himself.) meaning, he only
reduces his own rewards, and the bad outcome of that will come back to him.
[نَّفْسِهِ
وَاللَّهُ]
(For Allah is indeed Al-Ghani) Allah is in need of nothing else, whereas
everything is ever in need of Him. Thus, Allah says,
[الْغَنِىُّ
وَأَنتُمُ]
(while you are the needy.) meaning, specifically of Him. The description of
Allah as Al-Ghani (in no need) is a necessary description of Allah; on the other
hand, the description of the creation as Faqr (needy) is a necessary description
for them that they cannot avoid. Allah then says,
[وَإِن
تَتَوَلَّوْاْ]
(And if you turn away, ) which means, if you turn away from obeying Him and
adhering to His Laws.
[تَتَوَلَّوْاْ
يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْماً غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَكُونُواْ]
(He will replace you with other people; then they will not be like you.)
meaning, rather, they will be people who will listen to Him and obey His
commands. kThis concludes the Tafsir of Surat Al-Qital. And Allah is worthy of
all praise and gratitude.