ROOT ض ع ف

57:12, 19; 64:18.

Important Words:

یقرض (will lend) is derived from اقرض which again is derived from قرض. They say قرض الشیء i.e. he cut or severed the thing.اقرضه means, he gave him a loan. اقرض فلانا means, he cut off for him a portion so that he may requite or recompense it. قرضmeans, the act of giving a loan; a loan itself; any good or evil act which brings reward or punishment (Lane).

یقبض (receives) is derived from قبض. They say قبض الشیء i.e. he got hold of it; he received it. قبض یدہ عنه means, he kept back or withdrew his hand from it. قبض الله رزقه means, God straitened his means and lessened his provision (Aqrab).

Commentary:

This verse gives the second means of national advancement, i.e. free expenditure in nation-saving and nation-building affairs. If a nation desires to rise and prosper, it must spend money freely for national purposes, which include helping the poor and the needy. The Quran speaks of spending money in the cause of Allah as giving a loan to God, meaning thereby that money spent in the cause of God should not be regarded as something wasted or even consumed. It should be considered as something given to God as a loan which He would return to the lender manifold. The word loan, however, should not cause any misunderstanding. God needs no loans, for He is not only Self-Sufficient, but is also the Supporter and Sustainer of all other beings and things. He has used the term to indicate that one who spends in the cause of Allah will receive an ample reward from Him; his money, as it were, will be returned to him, being multiplied many times.

The interrogative form in the clause, Who is it that will lend, is used by way of exhortation, and the words, a goodly loan, have been added to indicate that this money is to be spent with a willing and cheerful heart.

It should be noted that apart from specifically national expenditures, the spending of money to help the poor and the needy also is tantamount to giving a loan to God. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said, "God will say to the sinful man on the Day of Judgement, O son of man, I fell ill, but you paid Me no visit; I asked you for food, but you gave Me no food; I asked you for water but you gave Me no water. The man will say, O my Lord, when didst Thou fall ill that I did not visit Thee? When didst Thou ask for food that I did not give it to Thee? When didst Thou ask for water that I gave it Thee not?' God will say, O son of man, know you not that one of My servants fell ill and you did not pay him a visit, he asked you for food and you did not give it to him; and he asked you for water and you gave him no water" (Muslim, ch. on Birri Was-Silah). This shows that spending money for the poor and the needy is tantamount to giving money to God.

The words, Allah receives and enlarges, signify that God accepts the money spent in His cause and multiplies it exceedingly so that the reward a man gets is out of all proportion to what he spends. The words, and to Him shall you be made to return, have been added to point out that, though virtuous men get their reward even in this life, yet what is in store for them in the next is far greater.

See 2:262.

Important Words:

تثبیتا (strengthen) is derived from ثبت which means, he or it subsisted or lasted; he or it became fixed or stationary at a place; he was firm, stable, steadfast and unwavering. ثبت الامر means, the matter became proved and determined. اثبته means, he made a person or thing fixed and stationary, rendering him or it unable to move; he imprisoned him or inflicted on him a crippling injury. اثبت الحق means, he strengthened or reinforced the truth with clear arguments. ثبته (thabbatahu) means, he made a person or thing firm, steadfast, unwavering and fixed; he strengthened him or it so as to make him or it fit to endure all trials and shakings (Aqrab & Lane).

ربوة (elevated ground) is derived from ربا. They say ربا المال i.e. the money increased and became augmented. رباالولد means, the child grew up. رباالرابیة means, he climbed the height. ربوة or رابیة means, a hill or elevated ground (Aqrab). ربا (interest) is also from the same root and is so called because it is looked upon as a sure and unfailing means of increasing and multiplying wealth.

Commentary:

Spending money in the cause of Allah leads to the strengthening of the soul. The man who strives in the cause of God by spending his wealth, imposes a burden on himself which makes him still more firm and steadfast in his faith. Besides, as he helps others with his money, God helps him and protects him from harm.

The hearts of the believers who spend freely in the cause of God are like elevated ground to which heavy rain, which sometimes proves harmful for low-lying grounds, can do no harm. On the other hand, it is benefited by rain, whether it is heavy or light.

In the verse under comment, rain represents charity. Those who spend large amounts are referred to in the words "heavy rain", while those who can afford to spend only small amounts in the cause of Allah are referred to in the words "light rain" (see also 9:79).

Both classes of men are benefited, inasmuch as they are granted more and more power to do good deeds and receive an ample reward from God, Who does not look to the amount of the money spent in His cause but to the proportion it bears to the money retained by the spender for his worldly needs. The word طل (light rain), besides including the lightest of rains, also means "dew" (Lane) and has been used to point out that even the smallest amounts spent in the cause of Allah has its reward.

96:5.

4:30.

Important Words:

ولیه (someone who can watch his interest). ولی means, friend; helper; guardian of one’s affairs; he who protects or watches one’s interests (Aqrab). See also 2:108.

Commentary:

As the preceding verses prohibit interest and enjoin that only the original sum taken as a loan be returned to the creditor, the Quran now fittingly turns to the subject of loans not carrying interest. The verse enjoins that all transactions regarding loans should be committed to writing. It is really amazing, and is indeed a wonderful testimony to its Divine origin, that the Quran, which was revealed about 1,350 years ago when the art of writing was yet in its infancy, should lay so much stress on writing down all transactions.

The verse should not be interpreted to signify that only such transactions should be committed to writing as have a fixed term for the paying back of a loan. The injunction is general and is meant to obviate or minimize disputes so as to leave no room for doubt as to whether any amount has really been lent and as to the amount of the money lent. The words, for a fixed period, have been added to emphasize the additional fact that whenever a loan is advanced, a term must be fixed.

The verse further enjoins that when a transaction is made on credit, the document drawn up should be written by a third person so that there may be little chance of fraud and neither of the parties may have a cause of complaint against the other, both standing on the same level.

The borrower, and not the lender, is to dictate because: (1) it is the borrower who incurs the liability, and justice demands that words defining the liability should not only be well known to, but also selected by him; (2) the document is to be deposited with the lender and not the borrower. So the borrower has been asked to dictate so that the fact of his having dictated may serve as a proof of the correctness of the amount and the condition about payment, and he may have no ground to deny it.The clause, he should not diminish anything therefrom, have been added because loans may be of different kinds. They may not always be in cash and may be for long terms and there may also be certain conditions attached to them. In such cases it sometimes happens that in drawing up documents, people resort to trickery and leave loopholes. So borrowers (who have to dictate) have been warned against such evil practices and have been enjoined to fear God and dictate with honesty and justice.

In the clause, and call two witnesses from among your men, the word "your" has been most wisely added to imply that the witnesses should not be strangers but should be known men residing in the same locality so that, if need arises, they may be easily summoned to give evidence. The words "such as you like", point to the fact that the witnesses, whether men or women, should be desirable persons and should enjoy the confidence of both parties.

The clause, and let no harm be done to the scribe or the witness, signifies that if the scribe is a professional man, he should be duly paid for his services; otherwise wrong would be done to him. Similarly, a person should not be compelled, so far as possible, to become a witness if it causes him loss of any kind. Again, the scribe or the witnesses should also be paid their travelling and other necessary expenses when they are summoned before a Qadi or judge. The words also hint that the witnesses and the scribe should not be forced or threatened or bribed or otherwise influenced to suppress the truth or tell a falsehood when called upon to give evidence.

2:276; 30:40.

Important Words:

الربوا (interest). See 2:276.

اضعافا مضاعفة (involving diverse additions). اضعاف is the plural of ضعف which originally means, the like of a thing. In its wider significance, the word means the like of a thing or more than that indefinitely. So اضعاف means, manifold or simply a great addition, the addition being unlimited. مضاعفة is the infinitive of ضاعف. They say ضاعفه i.e. he doubled it or trebled it, or redoubled it, or simply increased it indefinitely (Aqrab & Taj). The expression اضعافا مضاعفة would mean, increased manifold; or increased indefinitely. It should be noted that the words اضعافا مضاعفة are not used here as a qualifying phrase to restrict the meaning of ربوا (interest) so as to confine it to a particular kind of interest. They are used as a descriptive cause to point to the inherent nature of ربوا (interest) which involves a continual increase that never ends.

Commentary:

The charging of interest, although now legalized by Christian nations, was prohibited by Moses (see Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:36, 37; Deut. 23:19).

The verse does not mean that usury is permissible at a moderate rate, only a high rate being disallowed. All interest is prohibited, whether moderate or excessive; and the words اضعافا مضاعفة rendered as, involving diverse additions, have been added only to point to the practice that was actually in vogue in the time of the Prophet. Thus the extreme limit has been mentioned merely to bring out its heinousness whereas, in fact, all interest is prohibited, as clearly stated in 2:276-281.

The mention of the prohibition of interest while dealing with the subject of war is significant. We find that in 2:276-281 the prohibition of interest has also been mentioned in connection with the question of war. This shows that war and interest are closely related to one another - a fact amply borne out by the history of modern times. As a matter of fact, interest is one of the causes of war, and it also helps to prolong it. If there were no lending and borrowing at interest, wars could not be prolonged. If it is asked how the expenses of war are to be met in Islam, if money is not to be borrowed on interest, the answer is that when an aggressive war is forced upon Muslims, they are required to make free contributions for the sake of their religion and country. Suitable taxes also provide a fair means to meet the expenses of war, and taxes automatically prove a check on the undue prolongation of hostilities. See also 2:276, 277; 2:279, 280.

The mention of the prohibition of interest in connection with wars also shows that the verses of the Quran have not been thrown together at random but that there runs a wise and natural order through them.

3:146.

Important Words:

ربیون (companies of followers) is the plural of ربی (ribbi) which is derived from رب for which see 1:2. ربی means, one related to ربة i.e. company or a large company or a numerous company. Thus ربیون means, those forming a large company or a large body of persons, i.e. followers (Aqrab). It also signifies learned, pious and patient men (Lane).

استکانوا (did humiliate themselves) is derived from سکن which means, he or it became still or stationary; or the word is derived from کان which means, he or it came into existence; or he or it was in a certain condition. استکان means, he was or became lowly, humble, humiliated, or in a state of abasement (Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse exhorts believers to profit by the good example set by their righteous predecessors. The latter were not found lacking in preparations for fighting in the cause of Allah, nor were they slack in actual fighting or wanting in steadfastness.

Commentary:

The reason why the Law is revealed is that man is by nature weak and cannot himself find out the ways of spiritual advancement. So God has taken this burden from him. It was far from God to entrust man with a work which he could not discharge.

The verse also constitutes refutation of the Christian doctrine of Atone-ment which rejects the Law (Shari‘ah) on the ground of human weakness. As a matter of fact, Islam declares human weakness to be the very reason for the revelation of the Law, so that it may help man to fulfil his high destiny. The Law is not, therefore, a curse but a help and a blessing.

10:45; 18:50; 28:85.

Important Words:

مثقال (weight) is derived from ثقل meaning, it was or became heavy, weighty or ponderous. مثقال means, the weight of a thing whether great or small; a thing with which one weighs; a certain weight of which the quantity is well-known; a dirham; a dinar (Lane).

ذرة (atom) is derived from ذر meaning, he sprinkled or scattered. ذر of whichذرة is the singular means, the young of ants; ant’s eggs; small red ants; the smallest of ants; the motes that are seen in a ray of the sun that enters through an aperture (Lane).

Commentary:

No good deed, done even by a disbeliever, goes unrewarded. If the good deeds of disbelievers do not make them deserving of salvation, they at least serve to mitigate the severity, and lessen the duration of their punishment. In fact, wherever the Quran says that the deeds of disbelievers will not avail them, it means either that they will not succeed in their efforts against the truth or that their deeds will be of no help to them in securing for them admission into Heaven.

The reward promised in this verse is of two kinds: firstly, the direct result of one’s good acts; and secondly, their indirect consequence in the form of God’s pleasure.

4:99.

Commentary:

The verse is a clear proof of the fact that Muslims were not the first to open hostilities. They only fought a war of defence with a view to protecting their religion and saving their weaker co-religionists.

Important Words:

الطاغوت (the Evil One). See 2:257.

16:29.

Commentary:

The words فتھاجروا (for you to migrate) show that the people referred to here were not so weak as not to be able to migrate from their homes. They were thus not truly "disabled ones" as mentioned in 4:96 above. The present verse, therefore, strongly condemns them. Islam would not be satisfied with a weak or passive belief, for it is neither good for the believer nor for the community. If the environment of a believer is not suitable for him, he should shift to a different environment more congenial to his faith; and if he does not do so, he is not sincere in his faith.