The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 346
PT. 2 AL-BAQARAH E CH. 2 كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهُ لَكُمْ Fighting is ordained for. 217 you, though it is repugnant to وَعَلَى اَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ you, but it may be that you لَّكُمْ ۚ وَعَلَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you لَّكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ like a thing while it is bad for you. Allah knows all things, and you know not. 223 a8:6. further, describing also "on whom" the money is to be spent. As to the question, what is to be spent should be (1) well-acquired and (2) abundant. In moments of great national need, there can be no hope of success unless people spend freely and generously. But as free and generous expenditure carries with it the danger of weak people resorting to acquiring wealth by unfair means, therefore the condition about the money being "good" has been added. As to the other part of the anticipated question, i. e. on whom should the money be spent, the Quran says that money should be spent on parents and near relatives (lit. near ones) and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer. The five classes include all such persons as generally stand in need of help. The two first-mentioned classes include relatives, neighbours and friends who go to form the group that immediately surrounds a man and must claim his first attention, owning to personal relationship or personal contact. Then follow two classes that deserve help owing to their particular circumstance, orphans being without anyone to support them and the needy without any means of 346 support. Lastly comes the wayfarer, whose claim consists in his being a stranger with no friend, no relative and no supporter. By pointing out these five classes as deserving of help, the Quran desires to hint that unless the entire community, including those who come to stay with them temporarily, is prepared to fight in the cause of Allah and unless the well-to-do classes help the weaker ones in their preparation for the national struggle, Muslims cannot present a united front nor can their efforts bring about the desired result. Each and every person must gird up his loins to contribute his fullest possible share, and those who cannot do so for want of means must receive help from others who can afford such help. the noun- 223. Important Words: 85 (repugnant) is infinitive from 85 i. e. he disliked. means, a thing which is disliked; a thing which one is required to do against his wish or liking (Aqrab). Commentary: In 2:215, God warned Muslims that in order to reach the promised goal they must pass through an ordeal of