Introduction

Verse 195 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as a shining gem in the divine speech, provides a comprehensive framework for a righteous and balanced life. Centered around three fundamental principlesspending in the way of God, avoiding self-destruction, and doing goodit offers deep insight to the believer, guiding them towards growth and spiritual excellence through rationality and faith. This interpretation, with a scientific and systematic approach, delves into the precise meanings of this verse, aiming to offer practical guidance for a righteous life in the modern world. The structure of this writing, with thematic sections, elaborates on key concepts, critiques of narratives, and the presentation of elegant metaphors, ensuring rich and captivating content for scholarly audiences.

Section 1: Explanation of the Text and the Core Themes of the Verse

This verse presents three main principles: spending in the way of Allah, avoiding self-destruction, and doing good, which are beloved to God. These principles serve as pillars for the righteous life, providing a framework for both spiritual and material growth.

Universality of the Verse: A Manifesto for Life

Key Point: Verse 195 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as a manifesto for righteous living, offers comprehensive guidance for growth, excellence, and the prevention of harm and disaster.

This verse, with its profound and unparalleled content, presents a complete vision for addressing life's necessities. From a religious philosophy perspective, these principles establish a balance between material and spiritual aspects, teaching the believer how to achieve perfection through rationality and faith.

Section 2: Conceptualization of Spending

Root and Psychology of Spending

Spending, derived from the root nafaq, refers to the fluctuation between appearance and reality or the feeling of lack when giving. Contrary to some interpretations that see it as having two opposite meanings (giving and hypocrisy), the word has a singular meaning: the feeling of concern over the reduction of ones wealth when giving.

Key Point: Spending is an act accompanied by internal doubt, originating from a sense of lack (nafaq), and for this reason, it is considered an intermediate, rather than a superior, virtue.

From an Islamic psychology perspective, this doubt presents an obstacle in the way of good. The one who gives, due to fear of losing wealth, may give less or refuse to give. This internal doubt resembles hypocrisy, as both arise from inner contradictions.

Faith and Removal of Doubt

The believer, due to faith in divine compensation, does not feel a sense of lack when giving. He is certain that Allah will grant more in return for what is given.

Hadith: "Faith does not enter the heart of a person until they are more certain of what is with Allah than what is in their hands."

This hadith highlights the role of faith in changing the perspective on wealth. The believer views spending not as a loss, but as a means to receive greater blessings and renewal in life.

Levels of Spending

Spending, in comparison to sacrifice and doing good, is an intermediate quality. Sacrifice is giving something one personally needs, and doing good is unselfish kindness that is beloved to Allah.

From an Islamic ethical perspective, spending is an intermediate stage in spiritual growth that, when done with the right intention, elevates towards perfection.

Section 3: Spending in the Way of Allah

Divine Intention and the Elevation of Spending

Spending in the way of Allah, with the intention of seeking His pleasure, elevates the act from a basic to an intermediate level. This intention transforms spending from a mere human act into an act of worship.

Key Point: Spending in the way of Allah, with the divine intention, becomes an act of worship and is elevated from a basic to an intermediate quality.

Spending for ones own benefitsuch as helping family or seeking personal pleasureis good but not worship. For instance, sweeping the house or cooking food becomes an act of worship when done with the intention of pleasing Allah, but without this intention, it remains merely good.

Scope of the Way of Allah

The term Sabilillah (the way of Allah) is comprehensive, covering everything from assisting a believer to strengthening the community, military forces, and even reconciling with non-believers.

Key Point: Spending in the way of Allah includes assisting individuals, strengthening the community, and even reconciling with non-believers, and is not limited to warfare.

In the early days of Islam, spending in wartime referred to strengthening military forces. However, in today's organized societies, this spending extends to other communal needs. This dynamic demonstrates the flexibility of Quranic principles in adapting to the conditions of the time.

Balance in Spending

Spending is a two-way duty between the state and the people. In organized societies, the state allocates specific budgets for war or public needs, but this does not exempt people from spending.

Spending on non-believers for reconciliation is part of the way of Allah and may be supported by zakat or other forms of giving. This ruling refers to Islamic diplomacy in dealing with non-Muslims.

Section 4: Avoiding Self-Destruction

This part of the verse forbids spending in a way that leads to poverty and destruction. Destruction refers to both material and spiritual ruin, with extreme poverty being one of its clearest manifestations.

Key Point: Poverty is worse than death and can lead to disbelief, as it is said: "Poverty is near to disbelief."

From an Islamic sociological perspective, poverty creates a fertile ground for social and spiritual deviations and must be avoided.

Rational Spending

Spending must be rational and should not lead to harm to oneself or ones family. Some narratives that claim Imam Hassan (AS) gave away all his wealth are irrational and lack credibility.

Key Point: Spending should not lead to self-destruction; the Imams, with their financial capability and rational management, provided a model of balanced spending.

Scope of the Prohibition on Self-Destruction

The prohibition on self-destruction extends beyond spending to all reckless behaviors in politics, society, and life.

Key Point: This verse provides the best Quranic foundation for taqiya, rational politics, and the management of challenges with wisdom and balance.

This includes avoiding radical behavior or foolish actions, which lead to destruction and are not the way of a Muslim. However, avoiding self-destruction does not imply fear or cowardice but rather a rational approach to challenges.

Section 5: Sacrifice and Doing Good

Distinction between Sacrifice and Spending

Sacrifice is giving something that one personally needs but does not lead to self-destruction.

Key Point: Sacrifice is an optional virtue, higher than spending, but it must not lead to destruction.

For example, giving a new set of clothes to a young person about to marry or offering good food to a sick person in need is sacrifice, but it does not lead to destruction.

Doing Good and Divine Love

Doing good (Ihsan) is unselfish kindness, which, due to its purity, is beloved to Allah.

Ihsan is the pinnacle of moral excellence in Islam, demonstrating selfless love and care for others, which attracts divine favor.

Section 6: Critique of Narratives and Superstitions

Critique of Irrational Narratives

Some narratives, such as the claim that Imam Hassan (AS) gave away all his wealth or that the Khums was not given for three days, lack credible chains of transmission and rational interpretation.

Key Point: Irrational narratives, such as the story of the Prophet's sweat and the rose of Muhammad, are colonial superstitions and reduce the credibility of religion.

This critique underscores the necessity of a rational and authenticated examination of narratives. From a hadith science perspective, weak or illogical narrations are not to be relied upon.

Critique of Traditional Exegesis

The interpretation "Do not confront the Sultan" does not imply absolute submission but refers to rational competition and development.

Key Point: Resistance against the Sultan, if systematic and rational, is essential, and the Imams (AS) provide a model for this resistance.

The Imams (AS) defeated the Caliphs through scientific tactics without resorting to radicalism. This principle points to the political strategy of Shia Islam.

Section 7: Rationality and Blessings in Spending

Elegant Metaphors

Spending is like the flow of water in a pond, preventing the stagnation of wealth and life.

Key Point: The giver does not become needy; spending strengthens the roots of life, much like pruning a tree.

This metaphor highlights the dynamic nature of spending. Just as a gardener prunes the branches of a tree to strengthen its roots, the believer brings blessing and renewal to their life through spending.

The Role of the Poor and the Rich

Hadith: "If there were no poor, the rich would perish."

This hadith refers to the social role of the poor in maintaining balance. Spending strengthens the cycle of good and prevents the stagnation of wealth for the rich.

Critique of Marxism

Marxism, with its focus on worker ownership of wealth, refers to material development. However, Islamic spending, motivated by divine intention, is more sustainable and higher in value.

From an economic philosophy perspective, Islamic spending, because of its connection to faith, has a deeper and longer-lasting effect.

Final Summary

Verse 195 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like a radiant torch, offers guidance for a righteous life in the modern world. Spending in the way of Allah, with divine intention, elevates it from a basic to an intermediate quality, but it must be rational to avoid self-destruction. Sacrifice is a higher virtue, giving without harm, while doing good is the ultimate moral excellence, beloved by Allah. Critique of irrational and superstitious narratives, along with an emphasis on rationality and systematic action, makes this interpretation a valuable tool for understanding spending and rational management in life. This verse provides a framework not only for early Islam but also for the modern world, balancing material and spiritual aspects, courage and caution, and individual and collective good.

Supervised by: Sadiq Khadami