Surah Al Hadid Tafseer

Ordering Faith and encouraging spending

Allah the Exalted says,

امِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَأَنفِقُوا مِمَّا جَعَلَكُم مُّسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِ

Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and spend of that whereof He has made you trustees.

Allah the Exalted and Blessed orders having perfect faith in Him and in His Messenger, and that one should persist on this path adhering firmly to it. Allah encourages spending from what He has made mankind trustees of, the wealth that you - mankind - have, that He has lent you. This wealth was in the hands of those before you and was later transferred to you. Therefore, O mankind, spend as Allah commanded you from the wealth that He entrusted to you for His obedience. Otherwise, He will hold you accountable and punish you for your ignoring what He ordained on you in this regard.

Allah's statement,

مِمَّا جَعَلَكُم مُّسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِ

(of that whereof He has made you trustees),

indicates that you - mankind -- will surrender this wealth to someone else. In this case, those who will inherit from you might obey Allah with their wealth, and thus acquire more happiness than you on account of what Allah has granted them. They might disobey Allah, and in this case you will have helped them commit evil and transgression.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Ash-Shikhkhir said,

"I came to Allah's Messenger as he was reciting

مِمَّا جَعَلَكُم مُّسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِ

(abundance diverts you) and saying,

يَقُولُ ابْنُ ادَمَ مَالِي مَالِي وَهَلْ لَكَ مِن مَالِكَ إِلاَّ مَاأَكَلْتَ فَأَفْنَيْتَ أَوْ لَبِسْتَ فَأَبْلَيْتَ أَوْ تَصَدَّقْتَ فَأَمْضَيْتَ

The Son of Adam claims, "My wealth, my wealth." But is there anything belonging to you, except that which you consumed, which you used, or which you wore and then it became worn or you gave as charity and sent it forward.

Muslim also collected with the addition:

وَمَا سِوَى ذلِكَ فَذَاهِبٌ وَتَارِكُهُ لِلنَّاس

Other than that, you will go away from it and leave it behind for other people.

Allah's statement,

فَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَأَنفَقُوا لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ

And such of you as believe and spend, theirs will be a great reward.

encourages having faith and spending in acts of obedience.

Allah the Exalted said