وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۖ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْ ۖ سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُوا بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَاثُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ * لَقَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَاءُ ۘ سَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَالُوا وَقَتْلَهُمُ الْأَنبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَنَقُولُ ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ * ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
Let not those who niggardly cling to all that God has bestowed on them of His bounty think that this is good for them. Indeed, it is bad for them. That to which they niggardly cling will hang around their necks on the Day of Resurrection. To God belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth, and God is well aware of all that you do. God has certainly heard the words of those who said: “God is poor, and we are rich.” We shall record what they have said, and also their slaying of prophets against all right, and We shall say: “Taste now the torment of burning. This is on account of what your own hands have wrought. Never does God do the slightest injustice to His servants.” (Verses 180-2)
لا توجد لدينا روايةٌ صحيحةٌ قويةٌ تُحدِّد على وجه القطع المقصودَ بالآية الأولى من هذا المقطع، أي الذين نُهوا عن البخل وما يترتب عليه من عاقبة يوم القيامة. غير أنّ وقوعَها في هذا الموضع من السورة يُضفي على الآيات التالية، التي تتحدث عن اليهود، صلةً وثيقةً بالسياق. فهم الذين قالوا: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَاءُ﴾، وهم الذين زعموا أنّ الله عهد إليهم ألّا يؤمنوا لرسولٍ حتى يأتيهم بقربانٍ تأكله النار.
We do not have any highly authentic report as to whom the reference is directly made in the first verse of this passage; that is, those who are warned against being miserly and the result of their miserliness on the Day of Judgement. The fact that it occurs at this particular point in the sūrah adds relevance to the following verses which speak of the Jews. It is they, confound them, who said, “God is poor and we are rich.” It is also they who claimed that God specifically charged them not to believe in any messenger unless he brought them a burnt offering.
يبدو أنّ الآية بأكملها قد نزلت حين دُعي اليهود إلى الوفاء بالتزاماتهم المالية بموجب معاهدتهم مع النبيّ ﷺ.
It appears that the whole passage has been revealed when the Jews were called upon to honour their financial commitments under their treaty wits the Prophet.
وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ أَيْضًا أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِالنَّبِيِّ ﷺ رَسُولًا مِنَ اللَّهِ، وَأَنْ يُنْفِقُوا بِسَخَاءٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ.
They were also called upon to believe in the Prophet as God’s Messenger and to give freely for God’s cause.
إن التحذير الشديد الوارد في هذه الآيات، وبيانُ الأعذار التي تذرّع بها اليهود لتبرير رفضهم الإيمان بمحمد ﷺ، يُعدّان ردًّا قويًّا على وقاحتهم تجاه الله، ربهم. ويقترن ذلك بالتثبيت للنبي ﷺ في مواجهة رفضهم لرسالته، إذ يُذكَّر بما لقيه الرسل من قبله من استقبال عدائي من أقوامهم، ومن ذلك أنبياءُ بني إسرائيل الذين قُتلوا بعد أن جاءوا قومهم بالبينات الواضحة على صدق نبوّتهم، وبالمعجزات. وكل ذلك معروف في تاريخ بني إسرائيل.
The stern warning made in these verses and the exposition of the excuses given by the Jews as a justification for their refusal to believe in Muĥammad (pbuh) are revealed as a strong reply to their impudence towards God, their Lord. This is coupled with support given to the Prophet in the face of their rejection of his message. He is reminded of what the messengers before him had to face in the way of hostile reception by their peoples. These included Israelite prophets who were killed after having brought to their people clear evidence of the truthfulness of their prophethood as well as miracles. All this is well known in the history of the Children of Israel.
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۖ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْ ۖ سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُوا بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَاثُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ
Let not those who niggardly cling to all that God has bestowed on them of His bounty think that this is good for them. Indeed, it is bad for them. That to which they niggardly cling will hang round their necks on the Day of Resurrection. To God belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth, and God is well aware of all that you do. (Verse 180)
هذه الآية تنطبق على اليهود الذين ينقضون عهودهم، كما تنطبق على كل قوم يمتنعون عن نصرة رسالة الله بما آتاهم الله من فضله. وقد يظنون أن بخلهم يخدم مصالحهم بحفظ أموالهم وإبقائها في أيديهم، بدلًا من إنفاقها في سبيل خير.
This verse applies to the Jews who refuse to honour their commitments just as much as it applies to any people who refuse to come forward to support God’s message with that which God has bestowed on them of His bounty. They may think that their niggardliness serves their interests by protecting their wealth, keeping it in their hands, rather than spend it for a good purpose.
يُحذِّر القرآنُ الكريمُ أولئك من الاغترار بهذه الأوهام الباطلة، ويُبيِّن أنَّ ما يكنزونه سيُحمى عليه في نار جهنم، ويُطوَّقون به في أعناقهم يوم القيامة. وهو وعيدٌ مخيفٌ، ويزداد هولًا إذ يكشف أنهم يبخلون بما "آتاهم الله من فضله"، وليس ما يكنزونه شيئًا حصَّلوه بجهدهم وإرادتهم.
The Qur’ānic statement warns them against entertaining such false delusions, making it clear that what they hoard up will be lit up as fire and hung around their necks on the Day of Judgement. It is a fearful warning, made all the more so as it reveals that they niggardly cling only to that which “God has bestowed on them of His bounty. “They are not hoarding something they have gained of their own accord.
جاؤوا إلى هذه الحياة صفر اليدين، لا يملكون شيئاً يمكن أن يُنسب إليهم، ولا حتى جلودهم. إنّ الله هو الذي أعطاهم من فضله ونعمته. ومع ذلك، حين يأمرهم أن يتصدّقوا بما أعطاهم، لا يتذكّرون نعمة الله، بل يبقون شحيحين، يظنّون أنهم إذا كنزوا أموالهم فإنهم يفعلون ما فيه خيرٌ لهم، بينما هم في الحقيقة لا يجنون لأنفسهم إلا الشرّ. وفوق ذلك، فإنهم لا محالة راحلون، تاركين كل شيء وراءهم. فالله هو الوارث لكل شيء: ﴿وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَاثُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ﴾. إنما يكنزونه مدةً قصيرة، ثم يعود كله إلى الله. ولا يبقى لهم منه شيء إلا ما أنفقوه في سبيل الله، طلباً لرضاه. وهو الذي يجزيهم بذلك، ويضمن لهم الأمان يوم القيامة.
They have come to this life penniless, with nothing they could call their own, not even their skins. It is God Who has bestowed on them of His grace and bounty. Yet, when He asks them to be charitable with what He has given them, they do not remember God’s grace. Instead, they remain tight-fisted, thinking that when they hoard up their possessions, they do what is good for them, while in fact they do themselves nothing but evil. Moreover, they are bound to go away, leaving it all behind. It is God who inherits all: “To God belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth.” They only hoard it up for a brief period, before it all returns to God. Nothing of it remains for them except what they spend for God’s sake, in the hope of earning His pleasure. It is that which He rewards them for and ensures their safety on the Day of Judgement.
يلي ذلك ذمٌّ لليهود الذين ظنّوا أنفسهم غير محتاجين إلى الله ولا إلى ثوابه، ولا إلى مضاعفاته التي يَعِد بها من يُنفق ماله في سبيله. وهذا ما يسمّيه الله قرضًا يُقدَّم لِمن يُنفق ماله في سبيل خدمته. أمّا اليهود فيقولون بوقاحة: كيف يطلب الله منّا أن نُقرضه من أموالنا، ثم يضاعفها لنا مرارًا وتكرارًا، مع أنه هو نفسه يحرّم الربا ومضاعفة أصل القرض؟ وما هذا إلا لعبٌ منهم بالألفاظ، وجرأةٌ سافرة منهم على الله: ﴿لَقَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا﴾
This is followed by a condemnation of the Jews who thought themselves in no need of God or His reward, or even to the multiples He promises to those who spend their money for His cause. It is this which He is pleased to call a loan given to those who spend their money to serve His cause. The Jews, however, impudently say: How come that God asks us to give Him a loan of our money, and multiplies it for us over and over again, when He Himself forbids usury and the multiplication of the principal loan? This is no more than their impudent playing with words, their unashamed rudeness towards God: “God has certainly heard the words of those who said:
"إنَّ اللَّهَ فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَاءُ". سَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَالُوا وَقَتْلَهُمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ، وَنَقُولُ: ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ. ذَلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ}. إنَّ الْخَلْطَ فِي التَّصَوُّرَاتِ الْيَهُودِيَّةِ عَنْ حَقِيقَةِ اللَّهِ أَمْرٌ شَائِعٌ، وَذَلِكَ بِسَبَبِ تَحْرِيفِهِمْ لِكُتُبِهِمُ الْمُقَدَّسَةِ. وَحِينَ يَنْطِقُونَ بِهَذِهِ الْكَلِمَةِ الْوَقِحَةِ، يُحَذَّرُونَ تَحْذِيرًا وَاضِحًا: {سَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَالُوا}، لِيُحَاسَبُوا عَلَيْهِ. فَلَنْ يُنْسَى وَلَنْ يُغْفَلَ عَنْهُ، بَلْ سَيَكُونُ مُثْبَتًا إِلَى جَانِبِ سِجِلِّ مَا اقْتَرَفُوهُ مِنْ آثَامٍ فِي الْمَاضِي، وَالَّتِي ارْتَكَبَتْهَا أَجْيَالُهُمُ الْمُتَعَاقِبَةُ. وَهُمْ يَتَقَاسَمُونَ الْمَسْؤُولِيَّةَ عَنْهَا جَمِيعًا، لِأَنَّهُمْ يَشْتَرِكُونَ فِي أَفْعَالِ الْعِصْيَانِ وَالذَّنْبِ.
‘God is poor, and we are rich. ’ We shall record what they have said, and also their slaying of prophets against all right and We shall say: ‘Taste now the torment of burning. This is on account of what your own hands have wrought. Never does God do the slightest injustice to His servants.’” Confusion in Jewish concepts of the true nature of God is very common in their distortion of their Scriptures. As they utter their impudent mouthful, they are clearly warned: “We shall record what they have said,” so that we may take them to account for it. It will neither be forgotten nor overlooked. It will be there, side by side with the record of their past misdeeds, which were perpetrated by their successive generations. They collectively share the blame for it, since they share in their practices of disobedience and sin.
«وَقَتْلِهِمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ». تَسْجِلُ تَارِيخُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ سِلْسِلَةً مُرَوِّعَةً مِنَ الْقَتْلِ، نَبِيًّا تِلْوَ نَبِيٍّ، وَبَلَغَتْ ذُرْوَتَهَا فِي مُحَاوَلَتِهِمْ قَتْلَ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ. بَلْ إِنَّهُمْ زَعَمُوا أَنَّهُمْ قَتَلُوهُ، فَافْتَخَرُوا بِجَرِيمَتِهِمُ الشَّنِيعَةِ.
“And also their slaying of prophets against all right.” The history of the Children of Israel records a terrible chain of killing one prophet after another, culminating in their attempt on the life of Jesus Christ, (pbuh). They even claim that they killed him, so boasting about their ghastly crime.
"وَنَقُولُ: ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ". إن استعمال لفظ "الحريق" مقصود. إنه يزيد من هول عذابهم. إنه يجعل مشهد المعاناة كله حيًّا، رهيبًا، مؤلمًا، لا ينقطع. وهو عقاب على جريمة شنيعة، وهي قتل الأنبياء بغير أي حق، وعلى إثم عظيم، حين قالوا: "إن الله فقير ونحن أغنياء". "ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ". إنه جزاء مناسب، عادل وصحيح. "وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ". إن لفظ "العبيد" يُبرز منزلتهم بالنسبة إلى الله. فهم ليسوا إلا عبيدًا له. وهذا يجعل جريمتهم أشنع وجرأتهم أقبح. ولا بد أن نتذكر أن عبيد الله هم الذين يتفاخرون، خلافًا لكل قواعد الأدب، فيقولون: "إن الله فقير ونحن أغنياء". وإلى جانب سوء أدبهم الشديد مع الله، زعم أولئك اليهود أنهم لن يؤمنوا بمحمد ﷺ لأن الله أوصاهم ألا يؤمنوا بأي رسول حتى يأتيهم بقربان تأكله النار النازلة من السماء، وما دام محمد ﷺ لم يأتِ بهذه المعجزة، فإنهم سيبقون على عهدهم مع الله، أو هكذا زعموا.
And We shall say: ‘Taste now the torment of burning.’” The use of the term “burning” is deliberate. It adds to the horror of their torment. It makes the whole scene of suffering come to life, terrible, painful, unabating. It is a punishment for a hideous crime, namely, killing prophets without any justification whatsoever, and for a terrible sin, when they said “God is poor and we are rich.” “This is on account of what your own hands have wrought.” It is a fitting recompense, fair and correct. “Never does God do the slightest injustice to His servants.” The word “servants” highlights their position in relation to God. They are no more than servants to Him. This makes their crime even more ghastly and their impudence even more horrid. We need only remember that it is servants of God who boast against all standards of politeness: “God is poor, and we are rich.” In addition to their very rude attitude towards God, those Jews claimed that they would not believe in Muĥammad because God had charged them not to believe in any messenger until he brought them an offering and a miracle in the form of fire coming from the sky to consume it. Since Muĥammad did not offer such a miracle, they would remain true to their covenant with God, or so they claimed.
عِنْدَ هَذِهِ النُّقْطَةِ، يُوَاجِهُهُمُ القُرْآنُ بِتَارِيخِهِمْ هُمْ. فَفِي الْمَاضِي، قَتَلُوا أُولَئِكَ الأَنْبِيَاءَ أَنْفُسَهُمُ الَّذِينَ جَاؤُوهُمْ بِالْمُعْجِزَاتِ نَفْسِهَا الَّتِي طَلَبُوهَا مِنْهُمْ، وَأَعْطَوْهُمْ أَيْضًا الأَدِلَّةَ الوَاضِحَةَ عَلَى الحَقِّ.
At this point, the Qur’ān confronts them with their own history. In the past, they killed those very prophets who came to them with the very miracles they asked of them and also gave them clear evidence of the truth.
قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَهِدَ إِلَيْنَا أَلَّا نُؤْمِنَ لِرَسُولٍ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَنَا بِقُرْبَانٍ تَأْكُلُهُ النَّارُ ۗ قُلْ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِي بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالَّذِي قُلْتُمْ ۖ فَلِمَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿١٨٣﴾ فَإِنْ كَذَّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كُذِّبَ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ جَاءُوا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ وَالْكِتَابِ الْمُنِيرِ ﴿١٨٤﴾
They declare: “God has charged us not to believe in any messenger unless he brings us an offering which the fire consumes.” Say: “Messengers came to you before me with clear evidence of the truth, and with that which you describe. Why, then, did you slay them, if what you say is true?” Then, if they charge you with falsehood, before your time other messengers were also charged with falsehood when they came with clear evidence of the truth, and books of Divine wisdom and with the light-giving revelation. (Verses 183-4)
بهذه المواجهة لهم، يكشف القرآنُ أكاذيبَهم، ومكرَهم، وإصرارَهم على الكفر. ويُكشَفُ كذلك ادعاءاتُهم المتعالية، والافتراءاتُ التي يختلقونها على الله.
By so confronting them, the Qur’ān exposes their lies, deviousness and their persistence with disbelief. Also exposed are their boastful claims and the fabrications they make against God.
پھر، یہ سورت نبی ﷺ کے ساتھ نرمی اور تسلی کے انداز میں خطاب کرتی ہے، اور آپ ﷺ کو اس بات کی ترغیب دیتی ہے کہ وہ ان کی مخالفت کو کچھ زیادہ اہمیت نہ دیں، جو وہ آپ ﷺ کی مخالفت میں کرتے ہیں۔ آخر کار، یہ وہی کچھ ہے جو انہوں نے تاریخ میں آپ ﷺ کے پیغمبر بھائیوں کے ساتھ کیا: ﴿فَإِنْ كَذَّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كُذِّبَ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ جَاءُوا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ وَالْكِتَابِ الْمُنِيرِ﴾ (آیت 184)
Thereafter, the sūrah addresses the Prophet with tenderness and reassurance, encouraging him to take lightly whatever they do by way of opposition to him. After all, it is the same as they did against his noble brother messengers throughout history: “Then, if they charge you with falsehood, before your time other messengers were also charged with falsehood when they came with clear evidence of the truth, and books of Divine wisdom and with the light-giving revelation.” (Verse 184)
لم يكن محمد ﷺ أول رسول يُواجَه بتهمة التكذيب. فقد وُوجه كثير من الرسل الذين سبقوه، ولا سيما الرسل المبعوثون إلى بني إسرائيل، بمثل ذلك، على الرغم مما أظهروه من البينات والمعجزات، وكذلك الصحف المشتملة على الأحكام الإلهية، التي وُصفت في هذه الآية بأنها كتب الحكمة الإلهية، والوحي المنير كالتوراة والإنجيل. فالقصة إذن واحدة مع جميع الرسل والرسالات الإلهية.
Muĥammad was not the first messenger to be confronted with the charge of falsehood. Many earlier messengers, especially those sent to the Children of Israel, were similarly confronted, despite what they had shown of clear evidence and miracles, as well as scrolls containing Divine commandments, described in this verse as books of Divine wisdom, and with the light-giving revelation, such as the Torah and the Gospel. It is, then, the same story with all messengers and Divine messages.
إنّه الطريق نفسه الذي يسلكونه جميعًا، طريق المشقّة والتضحية. وهو الطريق الوحيد.
It is the same way they all follow, a way of hardship and sacrifice. It is the only way.