Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And they withhold the small things)
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And they withhold the small things)
Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'un: 7] Meaning: They withhold what is obligatory to give, namely the vessels -and she: the containers -Meaning: A person comes to them and borrows from them utensils,He says: I need a bucket, I need a vessel to drink from, I need an electric bulb or the like, and they refuse. This is also blameworthy.And withholding the small things is divided into two categories: The first category: The person commits a sin by it.
The second category: He does not commit a sin by it, but he misses out on good.
So, what is obligatory to give, a person commits a sin by withholding it. And what is not obligatory to give, a person does not commit a sin by withholding it, but he misses out on good.An example of that is: A man came to a person in dire need and said: Give me a vessel to drink from, for if I do not drink, I will die. Giving him the vessel is obligatory.Until some scholars say: If this person dies, the other is liable for it by way of blood money; because he was the cause of his death. And he is obligated to give what was requested of him.A person came to another saying: Give me a garment to protect myself from the cold, otherwise I will perish. Here, it is obligatory for him to give him that garment as an obligation.
But the scholars differed on this issue: Is it obligatory for the borrower - in this case - to pay the lender a fee, or is it not obligatory? Or is it obligatory for the benefits and not otherwise? How is this?For example: A person came to you in dire need of food, and if you do not feed him, he will perish. Here, it is obligatory for you to feed him, but is it obligatory for him to give you the value of the food?Some of the scholars of knowledge said: It is obligatory for him to give you the value of the food.And others said: It is not obligatory; because feeding him in this case is obligatory upon you from Allah. And this is the stronger position; because there is no compensation for it; because saving a person from perishing is obligatory, and a person cannot take a fee for what Allah has made obligatory upon him.
The second issue: A person in dire need of a garment out of fear of the cold came to you, so you gave him the garment. Is it obligatory for him to pay for this garment?Some scholars say: It is obligatory for him to pay for it.And some of them say: It is not obligatory.And the correct view is: It is not obligatory for him to pay for it. But if you gave it to him on the basis of ownership, it is his property. And if you gave it to him on the basis of lending, it is obligatory for him, when he finds another garment, to return it to you. This is the correct position. And with this, the discussion of this surah ends.
So a person must look into himself: Is he among those who are described with these characteristics or not? If he is among those who are described with these characteristics, having neglected the prayer and been heedless of it, and withheld good from others, let him be informed of woe - may Allah protect us from it. And if he has purified himself from that, let him be informed of good. And the noble Qur'an is not intended to be merely recited by a person to worship Allah through its recitation; rather, the intention is to be adorned with its manners.And for this reason, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: (The character of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was the Qur'an) (his character) Meaning: The morals with which he adorned himself, which he took from the Qur'an. May Allah guide us and you to what is good and right in this world and the Hereafter.
Allah the Exalted said:
and they withhold what is useful
وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَThe second category: He does not commit a sin by it, but he misses out on good.
So, what is obligatory to give, a person commits a sin by withholding it. And what is not obligatory to give, a person does not commit a sin by withholding it, but he misses out on good.An example of that is: A man came to a person in dire need and said: Give me a vessel to drink from, for if I do not drink, I will die. Giving him the vessel is obligatory.Until some scholars say: If this person dies, the other is liable for it by way of blood money; because he was the cause of his death. And he is obligated to give what was requested of him.A person came to another saying: Give me a garment to protect myself from the cold, otherwise I will perish. Here, it is obligatory for him to give him that garment as an obligation.
But the scholars differed on this issue: Is it obligatory for the borrower - in this case - to pay the lender a fee, or is it not obligatory? Or is it obligatory for the benefits and not otherwise? How is this?For example: A person came to you in dire need of food, and if you do not feed him, he will perish. Here, it is obligatory for you to feed him, but is it obligatory for him to give you the value of the food?Some of the scholars of knowledge said: It is obligatory for him to give you the value of the food.And others said: It is not obligatory; because feeding him in this case is obligatory upon you from Allah. And this is the stronger position; because there is no compensation for it; because saving a person from perishing is obligatory, and a person cannot take a fee for what Allah has made obligatory upon him.
The second issue: A person in dire need of a garment out of fear of the cold came to you, so you gave him the garment. Is it obligatory for him to pay for this garment?Some scholars say: It is obligatory for him to pay for it.And some of them say: It is not obligatory.And the correct view is: It is not obligatory for him to pay for it. But if you gave it to him on the basis of ownership, it is his property. And if you gave it to him on the basis of lending, it is obligatory for him, when he finds another garment, to return it to you. This is the correct position. And with this, the discussion of this surah ends.
So a person must look into himself: Is he among those who are described with these characteristics or not? If he is among those who are described with these characteristics, having neglected the prayer and been heedless of it, and withheld good from others, let him be informed of woe - may Allah protect us from it. And if he has purified himself from that, let him be informed of good. And the noble Qur'an is not intended to be merely recited by a person to worship Allah through its recitation; rather, the intention is to be adorned with its manners.And for this reason, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: (The character of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was the Qur'an) (his character) Meaning: The morals with which he adorned himself, which he took from the Qur'an. May Allah guide us and you to what is good and right in this world and the Hereafter.