Derived from the scholarly lectures of Nekounam, (Session 147)
The Holy Qur'an, like a radiant jewel in the sky of knowledge, guides humanity towards the truth of monotheism through its verses. The concluding part of verse three of Surah Al-Baqarah, وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ
(Translation: And of what We have provided them, they spend), elucidates the concepts of provision and charity within the framework of monotheistic faith and clarifies the position of human beings as trustees of Divine blessings. This book, relying on scientific lectures and philosophical, mystical, and social analyses, interprets this segment of the verse using a sublime language and a systematic structure, elucidating its concepts for specialised audiences and academic environments. Employing allegories and metaphors, the work endeavours to depict the depth of Qur'anic meanings within a scientific and universal context without diminishing the lofty status of the Divine Word.
In the Holy Qur'an, provision is defined within the context of faith and fundamentally differs from the view of common rationales and ordinary people. In the conventional perspective, humans consider themselves the true owners of possessions and deem their acts of disposal unconditionally permissible; however, the Qur'an introduces provision as a Divine blessing that falls under the absolute ownership of God. This distinction places faith at the centre of understanding provision and dissuades humans from self-centered ownership.
Humans are not owners of their provision but only owners of its consumption. The true owner is God, and humans, as trustees, have only the right to use Divine blessings. This principle presents provision as a Divine trust for which humans bear responsibility.
Ownership, according to common rationales, is conventional and transferable, such as inheritance after death. True ownership, exclusive to God, is non-transferable and eternal. This distinction characterises conventional ownership as temporary and Divine ownership as absolute.
The verse لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ
(Ibrahim: 33, Translation: Whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah) affirms Gods absolute ownership and precludes humans from claiming true ownership.
Humans have only the right to allocate the consumption of provision, not ownership itself. This right, termed conventional ownership, excludes wastefulness. Wastefulness, as excessive consumption, is an illegitimate act and is not subject to religious tithe (khums), since it falls outside legitimate consumption.
In conventional understanding, people consider themselves true owners of possessions and believe any act upon them is permissible. Yet, in the religious language, humans are only owners of consumption of provision and have no right to waste. This outlook guides humans toward monotheism and responsibility concerning Divine blessings.
God does not provide unlawful provision to humans; every provision granted by Him is inherently lawful. Such provision derives from Divine attributes of beauty, such as mercy and generosity, and includes degrees like good provision, pure provision, and known provision.
Lawful provision becomes unlawful due to human actions and deviation from the Divine path. This transformation results from human mischoice, not any deficiency in Divine providence. Unlawfulness acts like a shadow cast by human sin upon pure Divine provision.
Lawfulness is a prerequisite for spiritual journey and perfection. Unlawful provision acts as a poison leading to heedlessness and estrangement from truth, whereas lawful provision guides the soul towards inspiration and spiritual discoveries. Even if lawful provision is consumed without remembrance or facing the Qiblah, it remains lawful; however, unlawful provision cannot be purified by any remembrance or deed.
Provision, beyond material wealth, includes all potentials, attributes, actions, deeds, and existential effects such as power, life, knowledge, and lifespan. This definition introduces provision as a comprehensive blessing encompassing all existential dimensions of humans.
All instances of charity in the Holy Qur'an originate from Divine provision; charity from anything other than provision does not exist. The verse وَمَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ نَفَقَةٍ أَوْ نَذَرْتُمْ مِنْ نَذْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُهُ
(Al-Baqarah: 274, Translation: And whatever you spend of expenditures or make of vows, indeed Allah knows it) portrays charity as an act under Divine supervision.
Charity must be balanced, avoiding extravagance and miserliness. The verse وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنْفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا
(Al-Furqan: 67, Translation: And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy) emphasises moderation in charity.
Charity must be sincere and devoid of expectation or harm. The verse وَلَا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُمْ بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَىٰ
(Al-Baqarah: 264, Translation: And do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury) stresses sincerity in charity.
Charity given from what a person loves is superior to general charity. The verse لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنْفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ
(Aal Imran: 92, Translation: You will never attain righteousness until you spend from what you love) regards charity from the beloved as a condition for righteousness.
Charity embodies both spiritual and material reflection. The verse وَمَا تَنْفَقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ
(Al-Baqarah: 261, Translation: And whatever good you spend is to be repaid to you) emphasises this reality.
Charity is only valid when given in the context of genuine need; otherwise, it does not qualify as charity. This condition presents charity as a purposeful and benevolent act responding to real needs.
Relying on the principle of consumption ownership, Qur'anic concepts can be scientifically explicated. The phrase لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
(Translation: There is no power nor might except with Allah) harmonises with this principle, demonstrating human dependence on God.
The Holy Qur'an is a scientific and supremely modern book to which all sciences are related. This book will not only meet present scientific needs but also those of the future. It is like a treasure, the scientific extraction of which encompasses all disciplines.
Religious science, due to the lack of scientific extraction of Qur'anic concepts, has no voice in academic centres. This weakness highlights the necessity to reconstruct the religious science education system to produce Qur'anic knowledge.
With scientific extraction of the Qur'an, even non-religious environments can engage in effective and scientific dialogue. The Qur'an, as a universal source, addresses all scientific and epistemological needs.
The death of millions due to hunger does not contradict Divine providence but results from human hypocrisy or sin. The verse إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينِ
(Adh-Dhariyat: 58, Translation: Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider, the firm possessor of strength) confirms God's absolute providence.
The exegesis of the concluding part of verse three of Surah Al-Baqarah, focusing on provision and charity, displays the scientific, philosophical, and mystical depth of the Holy Qur'an in elucidating the monotheistic perspective on ownership and consumption of Divine blessings. Provision, as a comprehensive blessing including all material and spiritual potentials, is under Gods absolute ownership, and humans possess only the right to consume it. Charity, as a form of provision consumption, must be balanced, sincere, and given in the context of need to lead to righteousness and perfection. Lawfulness of provision is a prerequisite for spiritual progress, while unlawful provision obstructs closeness to the truth. The Holy Qur'an, as a supremely modern book, addresses all scientific needs, and its scientific extraction empowers religious science for global dialogue. Critique of weaknesses in religious science underscores the need to reconstruct educational systems for Qur'anic knowledge production. This exegesis offers a scientific and universal framework for deeper understanding of provision, charity, and realisation of monotheistic faith.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
