Allah states that the Jews, may Allah's continuous curses descend on them until
the Day of Resurrection, describe Him as a miser. Allah is far holier than what
they attribute to Him. The Jews also claim that Allah is poor, while they are rich.
`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,
﴿وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ يَدُ اللَّهِ
مَغْلُولَةٌ﴾
(The Jews say, "Allah's Hand is tied up.") "They do not mean that Allah's Hand is
literally tied up. Rather, they mean that He is a miser and does not spend from
what He has. Allah is far holier than what they attribute to Him.'' Similar was
reported from Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ad-Dahhak. Allah said in
another Ayah,
﴿وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً
إِلَى عُنُقِكَ وَلاَ تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَّحْسُوراً
﴾
(And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor stretch it forth
to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in
severe poverty.) In this Ayah, Allah prohibits stinginess and extravagance, which
includes unnecessary and improper expenditures. Allah describes stinginess by saying,
﴿وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً
إِلَى عُنُقِكَ﴾
(And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck. ) Therefore, this is
the meaning that the Jews meant, may Allah's curses be on them. `Ikrimah said that
this Ayah was revealed about Finhas, one of the Jews, may Allah curse him. We mentioned
before that Finhas said,
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَآءُ﴾
("Truly, Allah is poor and we are rich!'') and that Abu Bakr smacked him. Allah
has refuted what the Jews attribute to Him and cursed them in retaliation for their
lies and fabrications about Him. Allah said,
﴿غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُواْ
بِمَا قَالُواْ﴾
(Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for what they uttered.) What Allah
said occurred, for the Jews are indeed miserly, envious, cowards and tremendously
humiliated. Allah said in other Ayat,
﴿أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ
فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً - أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَآ ءَاتَـهُمُ
اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ فَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ ءَالَ إِبْرَهِيمَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ
وَءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ مُّلْكاً عَظِيماً ﴾
(Or have they a share in the dominion Then in that case they would not give mankind
even a Naqir. Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them of His bounty Then,
We had already given the family of Ibrahim the Book and the Hikmah, and conferred
upon them a great kingdom.) and, n
﴿ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ﴾
(Indignity is put over them.)