of Nokounam, , Session 725
Ayah 264 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like a radiant light in the firmament of divine knowledge, elucidates one of the most fundamental ethical and psychological issues within the domain of charity and almsgiving. This Ayah, employing eloquent language and profound expression, cautions the believers against invalidating their alms through ostentation and harm, and through novel metaphors, it likens such conduct to hypocrisy and showmanship before people. This treatise, relying on in-depth lectures and meticulous analyses, endeavours to systematically expound the scientific, psychological, and ethical dimensions of this Ayah with an elevated and academically appropriate lexicon. The structure of this writing, inspired by the original content, is organised into distinct sections, each addressing an aspect of the Ayahs meanings and relevant analyses. The objective is to present a comprehensive and coherent interpretation that is not only appealing and beneficial for Quranic scholars but also for specialists in Islamic philosophy, ethics, and religious psychology.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُمْ بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَىٰ كَالَّذِي يُنْفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْدًا ۖ لَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ
O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders of your generosity and with injury, like the one who spends his wealth to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah nor the Last Day. His example is like that of a smooth stone upon which is dust, then a heavy rain falls upon it and leaves it bare. They are unable to gain anything from what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.
The noble Ayah, like a mirror reflecting the reality of deeds, warns the believers against contaminating their alms with two moral vices: ostentation and harm. Utilizing two innovative similes, the Ayah first alludes to hypocrisy and showmanship before people and then, through a natural metaphor, vividly portrays the fruitlessness of such actions. The first simile compares charity accompanied by ostentation and harm to showiness before people, which stems from a lack of faith in God and the Day of Resurrection. The second simile, depicting a smooth stone washed by rain that leaves it bare, clearly illustrates the futility of such deeds. Beyond ethical aspects, this Ayah possesses profound psychological dimensions, examining human behaviours within the framework of motives and intentions.
This section, by explicating the text and meaning of the Ayah, provides a foundation for deeper analyses. The Ayah, employing eloquent language and profound metaphors, calls the believers to reflect on their intentions and avoid moral vices in charity. This exposition paves the way for a more precise examination of the psychological and ethical facets in subsequent sections.
Ostentation, like a shadow cast upon a virtuous act, originates from the agent and is dependent on the object of the act. When an individual performs a charitable deed and magnifies it, ostentation is imposed upon the recipient. This behaviour, whether in small acts such as giving a meal or great ones like donating a house or saving a life, indicates the agents self-aggrandisement. If the deed is minor and the agent ostentatious, this signifies a weak soul and lack of spiritual capacity. However, if the deed is significant, ostentation demonstrates that although the agent has performed a great act, spiritually they are lesser than their deed. This analysis traces the psychological roots of ostentation in egotism and the need for others approval.
Sometimes ostentation stems from belittling the object of the act, such as a teacher awarding a failing student a grade and then boasting over it. This behaviour, rooted in the agents sense of superiority, not only diminishes the value of the act but also humiliates the recipient. Psychologically, this type of ostentation signifies a desire for dominance and superiority over others.
Contrary to human ostentation, divine ostentation holds a special position. Allah states in the Holy Quran:
قَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ
Allah has favoured the believers by sending among them a messenger from themselves.
This ostentation, arising from the grandeur of the divine act (the mission of the Messenger), is not derived from self-exaltation but from boundless divine mercy. Furthermore, Allah favoured the Children of Israel by granting them governance despite their incomplete merit. This divine ostentation, unlike human ostentation, is aimed at guidance and mercy.
Harm, unlike ostentation which roots in the agent, manifests in the object of the act. When charity is accompanied by humiliation or insult, the recipient experiences abasement, and this harm annihilates the spiritual value of the deed. Harm may coexist with ostentation or occur independently, but in either case, it is the effect on the recipient that distinguishes it. Psychologically, harm signals the agents incapacity to manage emotions or a lack of empathy toward others.
Ostentation and harm sometimes appear simultaneously, as when charity is coupled with humiliation, and sometimes separately. If the recipient does not perceive ostentation, harm may still be felt. This distinction reveals the psychological complexities of human behaviours, where the agents intention and the recipients experience interact to confer meaning.
This section, analysing ostentation and harm, demonstrated that although these two vices have distinct roots, ultimately they invalidate the spiritual reward of charity. Divine ostentation, as a sublime exception, guides believers toward sincerity and mercy. This analysis sets the stage for exploring hypocrisy as an even more perilous vice.
Hypocrisy, like a deceptive mask over the face of truth, is an act performed to display oneself before people. Unlike ostentation and harm, which may harm the recipient, hypocrisy seeks to attract others attention and does not require humiliation or ostentation. A hypocrite may even accept others ostentation to appear greater in their eyes. Psychologically, this behaviour reflects an excessive need for social approval and a lack of inner self-confidence.
Hypocrisy, like a disease that erodes the soul from within, manifests in the discord between outer appearance and inner reality. The hypocrite presents a polished and virtuous face publicly but behaves differently in private. This contradiction, apparent in everyday behaviours such as disparities in worship at home and mosque or ethics in public versus private, indicates narcissism and self-centeredness. Such a person acts not for God but solely to capture others gaze.
In the contemporary era, technology serves as a tool for hypocrites, facilitating showmanship more easily. For example, an individual might record their worship and play it upon guests arrival, fabricating an image of piety. These tools, non-existent in the past, have expanded the scope of hypocrisy unprecedentedly and complicated the distinction between appearance and reality.
The noble Ayah links hypocrisy to lack of faith in God and the Last Day:
كَالَّذ
