The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 418
CH. 2 AL-BAQARAH PT. 3 الشَّيْطَنُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم Satan threatens you with". 269 E poverty and enjoins upon you بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَاللهُ يَعِدُكُمُ مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ what is foul, whereas Allah b وَفَضْلاً وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty. And Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing. 275 "See 2:170; 24:22. sought dust and touching it with his hands passed them over his face, etc. (Aqrab & Mufradāt). (bad) is derived from i. e. he or it was or became bad or foul or abominable or wicked or filthy or impure (Lane). given to the poor, but such things should not be specially selected or singled out for this purpose. Indeed, a believer can be said to have properly discharged his duty for "spending" in the cause of Allah only if he spends "good things". 275. Important Words: (poverty). The verb (faqara) (connive) is derived from which again is derived from i. e. it became hidden and concealed. means, he dug into the ground; he ) means, he made his speech bored a hole into a pearl, etc. ; he cut obscure, and abstained from making into and penetrated a thing. it clear in meaning. means, he (faqura) means, he became poor and closed, or shut his eyes; he connived needy. (faqira) means, he had a at something so as to practically treat complaint of his vertebrae. it as something unseen or hidden. signifies, poverty; want or need; care and anxiety or disquietude of mind. means, he demanded a اغمض في البيع lowering of the price of a thing owing to its badness. means, he connived at the bad quality of the thing and was not strict settling its price (Aqrab & Lane). Commentary: The verse implies that believers should not only spend in the cause of Allah but should spend what is good and pure; for even a lawfully-earned property might include things that are bad. They should not deliberately select worthless and worn out things for the purpose of charity. Old and second-hand things may indeed be 418 الفقر of which the plural is is one who is poor and needy; also one having a complaint of the vertebrae, arising from fracture or disease (Aqrab). Commentary: The most handy weapon for Satan is to suggest to the people that if they spend their wealth in charity, they will become poor. But this is a most foolish suggestion; for, if people obey Satan, the result will be i. e. national interests will suffer and the country will definitely decline in prosperity; and if the country