Verse 261 of the Blessed Surah Al-Baqarah, like a luminous beacon on the path of guidance, elucidates the effects of proper charity in the way of God, articulating with eloquence the divine reward and the tranquillity of the soul as the fruits of this invaluable act. This verse, shining like a radiant gem among the verses of the Holy Quran, attends not only to material charity but also to its spiritual and psychological dimensions. In this treatise, employing a scientific and systematic approach, the content of this verse is analysed with reliance on the presented lecture series and its profound commentaries, composed in a lofty and academic style suitable for a scholarly audience. The objective is to provide a comprehensive exegesis useful both for researchers of Quranic sciences and specialists in Islamic ethics, linguistics, and religious psychology. This examination, preserving all details and nuances from the primary texts, is structured methodically, commencing with a clear introduction, progressing through thematic sections, and concluding with a cohesive summary.
الَّذِینَ یُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِی سَبِیلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ لَا یُتْبِعُونَ مَا أَنْفَقُوا مَنًّا وَلَا أَذًى ۙ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَیْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ یَحْزَنُونَ
Those who expend their wealth in the way of Allah and then do not follow up what they have spent with reminders of it or with injury their reward is with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
This verse, like a mirror reflecting the truth, refers to a pure and sincere charity conducted solely in the path of God, free from any form of resentment or harm. Proper charity, flowing like a clear stream along the course of benevolence, brings about two fundamental effects: firstly, the divine reward preserved with the Lord, and secondly, the tranquillity of the soul manifested by the absence of fear and sorrow. These two effects, like two wings, guide the individual towards spiritual perfection and psychological serenity.
In the Quranic lexicon, Ajr denotes a wage paid in return for an action and is sometimes confined to worldly matters, whereas Thawab refers to a precious recompense associated with divine nearness and eternal felicity. This subtle distinction, drawn as a fine line between two intertwined concepts, demonstrates the Qurans profound epistemology in conveying divine rewards. In other words, Ajr may pertain to material reward even animals receive for their labour, while Thawab is like a life-giving breeze linked to ultimate spiritual success and salvation.
From a linguistic perspective, awb (with d) means correctness or rightness, whereas Thawb (with Th) signifies completeness and perfection. Though semantically related, their subtle differences stem from their roots: awb indicates the correctness of an action, while Thawb denotes its perfection. This distinction, like two branches of the same tree, reflects the semantic unity of adjacent letters in Arabic.
The Quranic letters, akin to the warp and weft of a fine fabric, encapsulate proximate meanings within their core. Letters such as Sn and d, or Dhl and d, due to their close articulation points, bear related meanings. This unity, an invisible thread linking letters together, is a hallmark of the Arabic language which the Quran employs artistically. Critique of approaches that arbitrarily separate these letters invites a scientific and precise analysis of Quranic language.
Religious sciences, in some traditional approaches, resemble a treasure trapped under the dust of time, deprived of dynamism. These approaches, often substituting logic and reasoning with the mere repetition of archaic concepts, fail to address contemporary needs. The call for reform in these sciences is akin to a summons to reconstruct an ancient edifice with modern materials and scientific methods.
The phrase inda Rabbihim (with their Lord) serves as a window to divine perfection, referring to an eschatological reward surpassing ordinary recompense. This proximity, like a lofty summit before the eyes of the faithful, denotes a state of divine nearness in which fear and grief vanish from human existence. This station, unique to the saints and prophets, manifests faith as an impregnable shield safeguarding the individual from dread and sorrow.
The Holy Quran, like a comprehensive map, depicts an unbreakable link between the worldly life and the hereafter. The eschatological reward, akin to fruit borne from the tree of worldly wellbeing, is only attainable under conditions of a healthy life in this world. Another Quranic verse states:
مَنْ کَانَ فِی هَٰذِهِ أَعْمَىٰ فَهُوَ فِی الْآخِرَةِ أَعْمَىٰ وَأَضَلُّ سَبِیلًا
Whoever is blind in this [world] will be blind in the Hereafter and more astray in way.
This verse, like a clear warning, asserts that worldly health is a prerequisite for eschatological felicity. Without a sound worldly existence, the hereafter is susceptible to deficiency.
Proper charity, like a key that unlocks the hearts seals, dispels fear and grief from the human soul. Fear, casting a shadow over the future, relates to anxiety about the unknown ahead, whereas grief is a burden linked to past sorrows. The Holy Quran, by stating nor will they
