The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 314
CH. 2 AL-BAQARAH 196. And "spend for the cause of Allah, and cast not yourselves into ruin with your own hands, and do good; surely, Allah loves those who do good. 202 عند المتقدمين معانقة PT. 2 وَأَنْفِقُوا فِى سَبِيْلِ اللهِ وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمُ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ ۚ وَأَحْسِنُوا إِنَّ اللهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ "2:255; 14:32; 47:39; 57:11; 63:11. consecutively and the last separately. As (Pilgrimage) was performed in Dhul-Hijjah, the three consecutive months served as a safe period for travelling for the purposes of Pilgrimage, both for the inward and the outward journey. The month of Rajab was generally meant for c (the Lesser Pilgrimage). The system was pre-Islamic not in the sense that it had its origin in pagan Arabia but in the sense that it came in vogue along with the institution of Pilgrimage established by Abraham under the commandment of God (22:27, 28). As Islam retained the institution of it naturally upheld the sanctity of the Sacred Months as well. Even warring tribes desisted from fighting at the approach of a Sacred Month when all bloodshed vanished from the land (Bukhārī, Qasṭalānī, Zurqānī & Tāj). of a party to signify the punishment thereof. Commentary: The verse embodies an important principle. If, in fighting, the sanctity of a Sacred Month is violated by some tribe hostile to Islam, Muslims are not to sit hand-bound and allow the aggressors to victimize them. They should retaliate; for in such retaliation lies the very safeguarding of the sanctity of a sacred thing; otherwise, the enemy would be unduly encouraged and would be all the more emboldened to commit such sacrileges. But as fighting in a Sacred Month is a dangerous thing (2:218) and as the punishment of an act of transgression is also likely to exceed proper limits and a slight error of judgement on the part of Muslims might make them sinful in the sight of God, the latter part of the verse suitably warns them to fear God and always remain within proper bounds; for, Allah is with those who fear Him. The words as (punish him for his transgression) literally mean, "transgress against him", but as one who retaliates against the transgression of a party does not really transgress but simply punishes the transgression of the aggressor, the words have been rightly translated as punish him for his transgression. This is quite in accordance with the Arabic idiom; for, as shown under 2:16, the Arabs generally repeat the very word used for expressing the wrongdoing | been bidden to wage in the defence of 202. Commentary: As the successful prosecution of war required money, the Faithful are here exhorted to spend in the cause of Allah so that the war which they have 314