Surah An Nisa Tafseer

The Censure of Stingy Behavior

Allah says;

الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبُخْلِ

Those who are stingy and encourage people to be stingy,

Allah chastises the stingy behavior of those who refuse to spend their money for what Allah ordered them, such as being kind to parents and compassionate to relatives, orphans, the poor, the relative who is also a neighbor, the companion during travel, the needy wayfarer, the slaves and servants. Such people do not give Allah's right from their wealth, and they assist in the spread of stingy behavior.

The Messenger of Allah said,

وَأَيُّ دَاءٍ أَدْوَأُ مِنَ الْبُخْل

What disease is more serious than being stingy!

He also said,

إِيَّاكُمْ وَالشُّحَّ فَإِنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ أَمَرَهُمْ بِالْقَطِيْعَةِ فَقَطَعُوا وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالْفُجُورِ فَفَجَرُوا

Beware of being stingy, for it destroyed those who were before you, as it encouraged them to cut their relations and they did, and it encouraged them to commit sin and they did.

Allah said,

وَيَكْتُمُونَ مَا اتَاهُمُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ

and hide what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounties,

Therefore, the miser is ungrateful for Allah's favor, for its effect does not appear on him, whether in his food, clothes or what he gives.

Similarly, Allah said,

إِنَّ الاِنسَـنَ لِرَبِّهِ لَكَنُودٌ

وَإِنَّهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ لَشَهِيدٌ

Verily, man is ungrateful to his Lord. And to that he bears witness. (100:6-7),

by his manners and conduct,

وَإِنَّهُ لِحُبِّ الْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ

And verily, he is violent in the love of wealth. (100-8)

Allah said,

وَيَكْتُمُونَ مَا اتَاهُمُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ

and hide what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounties.

and this is why He threatened them,

وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا

And We have prepared for the disbelievers a disgraceful torment.

Kufr means to cover something. Therefore, the Bakhil (miser) covers the favors that Allah has blessed him with, meaning he does not spread those favors. So he is described by the term Kafir (ungrateful) regarding the favors that Allah granted him.

A Hadith states that,

إِنَّ اللهَ إِذَا أَنْعَمَ نِعْمَةً عَلى عَبْدٍ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَظْهَرَ أَثَرُهَا عَلَيْه

When Allah grants a servant a favor, He likes that its effect appears on him.

Some of the Salaf stated that;

this Ayah (4:37) is describing the Jews who hid the knowledge they had about the description of Muhammad, and there is no doubt that the general meaning of the Ayah includes this.

The apparent wording for this Ayah indicates that it is talking about being stingy with money, even though miserly conduct with knowledge is also included.

The Ayah talks about spending on relatives and the weak, just as the Ayah after it