Friday, March 15, 2013

Tafseer: {Do not contribute for your own destruction}

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Allaah تعالى says:

{وَأَنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ وَأَحْسِنُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ}

{And spend in the Cause of Allaah and make not your own hands contribute to (your own) destruction, and do good! Truly, Allaah loves al-Muhsinoon (the good-doers)} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 195]


Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said in the Tafseer of the above Aayah:

In the saying of Allaah تعالى:

{وَأَنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ}

{And spend in the Cause of Allaah} meaning: spend your wealth in Jihaad in the cause of Allaah. Most likely, the meaning could be more general – not just for Jihaad only – but to include everything that which brings one closer to Allaah عز وجل.

And His تعالى saying:

{وَلا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ}

{And make not your own hands contribute to (your own) destruction}: Some of the people said: “The ‘ب’ is an extra letter” so that the meaning would be: “Do not cause destruction to your own hands.” But the correct opinion is that the ‘ب’ is part of the word and not an extra letter. Rather it assures the meaning of the verb “الإفضاء” (expose); meaning: “Do not expose yourself to destruction.”

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{التَّهْلُكَةِ} is from the root word: “الهلاك” (destruction/loss), meaning: “Do not contribute to that which would destroy you”, and it includes both meanings: the direct meaning and the derived meaning.  The direct meaning: “(Causing destruction to oneself) by not participating in Jihaad or contributing for it.” The derived meaning: “Not exposing oneself to danger” like throwing oneself in the fire; or in the water so that he drowns; or that he sleeps (or walks) under a wall (or a building) which is leaning dangerously or whatever is similar to that.

And His تعالى saying:

{وَأَحْسِنُوا}

{And do good} meaning: “Do al-Ihsaan (good) in (regards to) the worship of the Creator, as well as in dealing with the creation.” As for al-Ihsaan in worship of the Creator, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has explained this when he said:

أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراك

“That you worship Allaah as if you are seeing Him and if you cannot do this (then know) that He is seeing you.” [Saheeh Muslim (1)]

As for al-Ihsaan in dealing with the creation: Then you should deal with them in the way as you would love to be dealt with - dealing with righteousness and avoiding harm.

And His تعالى saying:

{إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ}

{Truly, Allaah loves al-Muhsinoon (the good-doers)} this is for motivating towards al-Ihsaan. If al-Ihsaan had no other benefit for the Believers except this (that Allaah تعالى loves those who deal with al-Ihsaan), this (factor alone) should be sufficient for them to deal with al-Ihsaan.

Benefits:

1. From the benefits of this verse is: The command to spend in the cause of Allaah; and Zakaah is included in this.  Rather, Zakaah is the first to be included in this because the obligation of giving out Zakaah is more than any other spending in the cause of Allaah. It is more obligatory than spending in Jihaad or spending in maintaining ties of kinship or in righteousness towards parents because Zakaah is one of the pillars of Islaam.

2. And from the benefits is: indication towards al-Ikhlaas (sincerity) in action because of the saying of Allaah تعالى: {in the Cause of Allaah} and it includes intention and implementation – the intention should be for the cause of Allaah and the implementation should be according to the Sharee`ah of Allaah as Allaah تعالى said:

{والذين إذا أنفقوا لم يسرفوا ولم يقتروا وكان بين ذلك قواماً}

{Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes)} [Surah al-Furqaan (25): 67]

3. And from its benefits is: Prohibition of causing destruction to own self because of the saying of Allaah تعالى:

{وَلا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ}

{and make not your own hands contribute to (your own) destruction}; causing destruction to own self includes (the following reasons): ignoring the (religious) obligations (like prayers and fasting); doing the prohibition (like gambling and drinking intoxicants) or in more general terms: anything which is destructive for the human beings and dangerous for them in their religion or worldly lives.

4. And from it is:  Anything which can cause injury or harm to a person, then it is not allowed. And from this rule we know that smoking is not allowed because it is injurious according to the consensus of the doctors. Also there is a loss of wealth as well and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has prohibited us from it.*

[*] Narrated Al-Mugheerah: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Allaah has forbidden you (i) to be undutiful to your mothers (ii) to withhold (what you should give) or (iii) demand (what you do not deserve), and (iv) to bury your daughters alive. And Allah has disliked that (a) you talk too much about others (b) ask too many questions (in religion) or (c) waste your property.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (1477, 5975, 6473) and Saheeh Muslim (4255)]

5. And from its benefits is: The command to deal with al-Ihsaan because of the saying of Allaah تعالى:

{وَأَحْسِنُوا}

{And do good}. Question: The command (about dealing with al-Ihsaan), is it for making it obligatory or something desirble?

Answer: al-Ihsaan, when it is carried out for doing an obligatory act, then the command here is for Wujoob (obligation). But when it is done for perfecting a deed, then the command here is for desirability.

6. And from its benefits is: The merits of al-Ihsaan and encouragement towards it because of the saying of Allaah تعالى:

{إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ}

{Truly, Allaah loves al-Muhsinoon (the good-doers)}

7. And from its benefits is: Evidence for the love of Allaah عز وجل for (his slaves) because of the saying of His تعالى: {Truly, Allaah loves al-Muhsinoon (the good-doers)}, and it is the true love. It does not mean “reward” or “the intention to reward” in opposite to what al-Ashaa`irah and other than them from the people of distortion say, who distort this Great meaning to that which cannot equal it. The “just willing to reward” is nothing in comparison to the “Love” (of Allaah تعالى for His slaves). Their doubt that love can only exist between similar creation and this is a false reasoning, opposing the text (the Qur’aan and the Sunnah) and the consensus of the Salaf and this false reasoning is also repulsed t love he fact which is heard and felt that love does exist between different creation. This is evident from the Hadeeth of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that mount Uhud – and it is rocks and pebbles – loves us and we love it.* We also find that the animals love their owners, and the owners loving them. A horse when it sees its master, it makes a sound and will go towards him. Similar is the case with other moving creatures. A human is aso found loving some part of his wealth more than the other.

[*] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2889) and Saheeh Muslim (3321).


Source:
Tafseer al-`Uthaymeen of Surah al-Baqarah

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