Verse 245 of Surah Al-Baqarah, articulated in an elevated style and coherent structure, addresses the subject of benevolent loans to God and their infinite reward. This verse guides humanity towards spending in the cause of goodness and, through the employment of exquisite rhetorical devices, reveals the honour and grandeur of such an act. In this exegesis, a scientific and systematic approach is adopted to examine the verses concepts within Quranic, theological, ethical, psychological, and sociological contexts. The objective is to elucidate the multifaceted dimensions of lending to God and its role in individual and social elevation, with strict adherence to preserving all details and the arguments of the original lecture.
مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَقْبِضُ وَيَبْسُطُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
Who is it that will lend to Allah a goodly loan so that He may multiply it for him many times over? And Allah restricts and grants abundance, and to Him you shall be returned.
Key Point: Verse 245 of Surah Al-Baqarah was revealed following verses concerning fighting in the way of God and specifically refers to financial participation in legitimate jihad. Nevertheless, the concept of lending to God transcends this context and encompasses all forms of charitable spending.
This verse, situated amid the verses of jihad, emphasises the importance of financial assistance to charitable causes. Although its revelation was connected to jihad, its generality includes all forms of spending in the cause of God. This universality manifests divine wisdom in inviting towards charitable deeds, as if opening a gateway to all righteous acts that guide a person towards divine proximity.
Key Point: An individual unable to participate physically in jihad can partake in its merit through financial contribution. Such participation is considered a loan to God.
Islamic law, with its sagacious flexibility, provides avenues for all societal segments to engage in charitable acts. Financial assistance for jihad serves as a substitute for physical presence, enabling individuals to tread the divine path by their financial capacity. This ruling reflects the comprehensiveness of the divine legislative system.
Key Point: Although revealed in the context of jihad, the phrase Who lends to Allah is general and includes any charitable spending in the way of God, such as aiding the needy.
The phrase Who lends to Allah transcends the specific context, encompassing any benevolent act performed for Gods satisfaction. This breadth acts as an infinite sea embracing every form of charity and inviting humans to unlimited acts of kindness.
Key Point: God, as the absolute Wealthy, is in no need of borrowing. Divine borrowing essentially signifies an invitation to assist Gods servants (believers) and does not imply poverty or necessity.
From a theological standpoint, divine borrowing represents Gods grace, calling humanity to partake in charity. Lending to God is essentially aiding His servants, as if God invites humans through this metaphor to altruism and empathy with others.
Key Point: Borrowing is not necessarily a sign of poverty. Even wealthy entities, such as banks, borrow and lend for economic or social objectives, e.g., borrowing at low interest and lending at higher interest.
This example illustrates the rationality of borrowing in economic systems. In the divine system, lending to God is a spiritual investment with infinite reward, as if the person stores eternal treasure with God by spending.
Key Point: Divine borrowing is rational because lending to God is, in truth, aiding His servants, and God accepts it as a loan to Himself and grants manifold rewards.
This rationality, from an ethical viewpoint, encourages altruism and helping others. Lending to God is a bilateral transaction with spiritual benefit that also supports social cohesion.
Key Point: Lending to God is not metaphorical but real. Assisting Gods servants is regarded as lending to God, just as parents borrow on behalf of their child.
This reality demonstrates the profound connection between human relations with God and His servants. Good deeds towards others are considered exalted worship in the divine system, as if each aid to a servant is a step towards divine proximity.
Key Point: Lending to God is not restricted to money but includes any form of assistance, such as clothing, food, or other goods to Gods servants.
This broadness enables all social classes to participate in this charitable act. Each individual, with any financial capacity, can engage in such benevolence, as if each donated item is a jewel stored in the divine treasury.
Key Point: Lending, even by a person who is not in need, requires a rational purpose. Here, the rational purpose is assisting Gods servants, such as a child or neighbour.
This principle reveals divine wisdom in encouraging charity. A rational purpose renders the charitable act purposeful and valuable, as if each act of giving is a bridge to spiritual and social elevation.
Key Point: The use of the phrase Man Dha Al-Ladhi instead of simply Man Yaqrid Allah indicates an elaboration and grandeur of the act of lending to God. This phrase highlights the nobility and perfection of this deed.
From a rhetorical perspective, the phrase Man Dha Al-Ladhi, utilising two attributive nouns (Dhu and Al-Ladhi), reveals the exalted status of the lender to God. This stylistic device, like a celestial melody, whispers the greatness of the charitable act into the listeners soul.
Key Point: Dhu and Al-Ladhi, as attributive nouns, emphasise the grandeur of lending to God and distinguish this act from ordinary deeds.
These nouns provide literary weight and majesty to the verse and invite the audience to reflect on the lofty value of this act, as if God places charitable acts like shining gems before human eyes through these expressions.
Key Point: Belittling charitable acts, such as saying It was not important or It would have been fine not to do it, constitutes moral impropriety and ingratitude, which is prevalent in human societies.
From an ethical standpoint, this behaviour obstructs spiritual and social advancement. The disparagement of charity acts as a barrier to the flow of benevolence, thereby impeding societal growth.
God, using the phrase "Who is it that," imparts etiquette and respect towards acts of kindness, and forbids their belittlement, contrary to the behaviour of some individuals who demean blessings.
This instruction, from an educational perspective, encourages gratitude for blessings and reverence for charitable acts. This Quranic etiquette functions as a beacon illuminating the path of ethical growth within society.
Belittling acts of kindness exemplifies ingratitude, which holds no place within the divine paradigm. God rectifies this behaviour by elevating the status of loan-giving.
From a psychological viewpoint, ingratitude hinders spiritual and social development. The verse, by emphasising the value of lending, remedies this deficiency, as if Gods expression awakens humanity from the slumber of heedlessness.
Preservation, meaning the safeguarding and respect for the value of deeds, constitutes a foundational sociological principle for societal progress. Disparagement of charity impedes societal growth.
This principle, viewed sociologically, highlights the importance of respecting others efforts. Preservation serves as the root anchoring the tree of social cohesion and advancement.
Disparaging the historical enemies of Islam, such as the Caliphs, Jews, and Christians, has led to the defeat of Muslims. Elevating the enemy reinforces rationality and prudence.
Historically, belittling the enemy ignores realities and weakens defensive strategies. Elevating the enemy acts as a shield that protects the Islamic community against challenges.
The enemies of Islam, including the Caliphs, Jews, and Christians, possessed considerable power, cunning, and resources. Disparaging them neglects historical facts.
This point underscores the necessity of precise historical analysis and understanding the capabilities of adversaries. The enemies, employing robust strategies, posed significant challenges that can only be resisted through realism.
Disparaging the world and wealth, with phrases such as "the world is nothing" or "wealth is rubbish," stems from colonial culture and has led to the poverty and backwardness of Muslims.
This critique reveals, from a cultural perspective, the impact of colonial propaganda on the Muslim mindset. Disparaging the world acts like a chain that restrains both material and spiritual progress of society.
In Islam, the world denotes "near" (Dun), not something base or worthless. The worldly goods, compared to the Hereafter, are few, but intrinsically valuable.
Theologically, the world is a platform for righteous deeds. Its disparagement contradicts Quranic teachings, as God has made the world like a field for sowing goodness.
Colonisers plundered Islamic riches such as antiques and jewels by disparaging them. This was a consequence of wealth disparagement within Muslim culture.
Historically, this looting reflects the cultural and economic weakness of Muslims. Awareness and preservation of wealth act as a fortress preventing the plunder of resources.
Islamic antiques, such as turquoise and jewels, were sold cheaply to the West due to disparagement, yet now hold billion-dollar values.
Economically, this example highlights the importance of preserving cultural and material heritage. Disparagement of wealth disperses the treasures of the nation like wind scattering seeds.
The turquoise in the shrine of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) was worth as much as several provinces, but was lost due to disparagement. This reflects the culture of wealth disparagement.
This example demonstrates the necessity of preserving national and religious wealth. Disparagement acts like a fire that reduces spiritual and material treasures to ashes.
The phrase "Who lends to God" signifies separating a portion of one's existence (wealth, heart, life) in the path of God. This act requires self-sacrifice and altruism.
Psychologically, lending to God is an action that diminishes attachment to materialities and directs the individual towards spiritual elevation, as if each charity is a step towards liberation from the bondage of matter.
Philosophy in Islam encompasses gemmology, treasure knowledge, and even dance. These sciences contribute to understanding the cosmos and intellectual elevation.
Epistemologically, the comprehensiveness of Islamic philosophy enriches the knowledge of existence. Diverse sciences are like branches of a tree that bear the fruit of knowledge.
Prayer is a form of passionate dance with God that renews intellectual transformations. Reciting Qunt in Persian is incompatible with the Prophetic tradition.
Mystically, prayer is a dynamic and transformative worship. Maintaining the Prophetic tradition is akin to a key that ensures the authenticity and efficacy of this act of worship.
Qard Hassan denotes a pure, lawful, and sincere loan, granted from personal wealth with benevolent intention.
Jurisprudentially, this condition emphasises sincerity and purity in charity. The good loan is like a pure gem placed in the divine treasury.
Lending to God is a bilateral contract that the individual may accept or reject. God, in return for the loan, grants manifold rewards.
Legally, this bilateral nature highlights human agency in participating in good deeds. Divine reward is like rain that nourishes the hearts soil.
Yudhaaf, derived from the form of mutuality (Mufalah), means to multiply manifold. This reward encompasses abundant multiples (Adfan Kathrah).
Lexically, the mutuality form indicates reciprocal participation. The multiplied reward is like a sun that causes a persons good deeds to radiate brightly.
af meaning weakness and af meaning multiplication share a root, yet their semantic difference is challenging. Some consider af Arabic and af Hebrew.
Lexicologically, this ambiguity reflects the complexities of derivation in Arabic. A detailed root analysis is like mining that reveals the truth of meaning.
In existence, synonymy and contradiction do not coexist. Each root possesses a distinct meaning, and af cannot hold two contradictory meanings.
Philosophically, this view emphasises the unity of meanings in existence. The semantic difference between the two forms of af is a puzzle requiring deeper analysis.
Weakness in foundational sciences such as philosophy and logic has diminished the quality of religious knowledge. Robust principles are the infrastructure for precise Quranic exegesis.
Scientifically, this critique reveals the necessity of strengthening foundational sciences within religious studies. Strong principles are like a foundation stabilising the edifice of interpretation.
Prominent scholars such as Sheikh Ansari, Akhund, Aqa Zia, Naini, and Kampani elevated the principles to their zenith, but subsequently, this knowledge was limited to commentary.
Historically, this point marks the rise and then decline of principles science. Returning to the methods of these scholars is akin to reviving a spring that quenches religious knowledge.
Verse 245 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by inviting to Qard al-Hasan (benevolent loan), encourages human beings to spend in the path of goodness and, with exalted expressions and divine names of authority, manifests the grandeur of this act. This verse encompasses multiple dimensions from rhetorical, theological, ethical, psychological, and sociological perspectives. The critique of disparaging the world, the weakness of religious sciences, and the influence of colonial culture emphasise the necessity for reconstruction of Islamic culture and sciences. Strengthening foundational sciences such as philosophy and logic, and returning to the principled methodologies of eminent scholars, constitute a pathway towards precise elucidation of Quranic concepts and the resilience of religious discourse against modern challenges. This exegesis functions as a torch illuminating the path of spiritual and social elevation.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
