A STORY OF A WOMAN WHO HAD TAQWA

ALLĀH'S statement;

سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا
ALLĀH will grant after hardship, ease.

This is a sure promise from HIM, and indeed, ALLĀH'S promises are true and HE never breaks them,

This is an ALLĀH'S saying;

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْراً ۞ إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْراً
Verily, along with every hardship is relief. Verily, along with every hardship is relief. (94:5-6)
There is a relevant Hadith that we should mention here.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said: "A man and his wife from an earlier generation were poor. Once when the man came back from a journey, he went to his wife saying to her, while feeling hunger and fatigued, Do you have anything to eat'

She said, Yes, receive the good news of ALLĀH'S provisions.'

He again said to her, If you have anything to eat, bring it to me.'

She said, 'Wait a little longer.'

She was awaiting ALLĀH'S mercy. When the matter was prolonged, he said to her, Get up and bring me whatever you have to eat, because I am real hungry and fatigued.'She said, I will. Soon I will open the oven's cover, so do not be hasty.'

When he was busy and refrained from insisting for a while, she said to herself, `I should look in my oven.'

So she got up and looked in her oven and found it full of the meat of a lamb, and her mortar and pestle was full of seed grains; it was crushing the seeds on its own. So, she took out what was in the mortar and pestle, after shaking it to remove everything from inside, and also took the meat out that she found in the oven."

Abu Hurayrah added,

"By HE in Whose Hand is the life of Abu Al-Qasim (Prophet Muhammad)! This is the same statement that Muhammad (ﷺ) said: **"Had she taken out what was in her mortar and not emptied it fully by shaking it, it would have continued crushing the seeds until the Day of Resurrection."

{Tafsi‌r Ibn Kathīr}**

#ibnkathir #Talaq (65:7)

https://t.me/Tafseer_Benefits

THOSE WHO DESERVE THE SPENDING OR CHARITY

ALLĀH says;

يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ
They ask you, ˹O Prophet˺, what they should spend.

That is, they ask you about spending, which includes asking about what is spent and on whom it is spent.

ALLĀH responded by saying:

قُلْ مَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِلْوَالِدَيْنِ
Say, whatever you spend of good is to be for parents

Whether it is a smaller or greater amount, the most deserving people of it, the most entitled to be given precedence, the ones who have the greatest rights over you, are parents to whom it is obligatory to show kindness and it is forbidden to disobey them. One of the greatest ways of showing kindness to them is to spend on them, and one of the greatest kinds of disobedience to parents is to fail to spend on them. Hence spending on them is obligatory for the one who can afford it.

وَالَاقْرَبِينَ
And relatives

Then after parents come relatives of varying degrees, the closest then the next closest, according to the degree of closeness and of need. Spending on them is both an act of charity and upholding ties of kinship.

وَالْيَتَامَى
And orphans

This refers to small children who have no breadwinner; they are usually in need because they are not able to look after themselves and they have lost their breadwinner. So ALLĀH enjoined people to take care of them, out of mercy and kindness towards them.

وَالْمَسَاكِينِ
And the needy

This refers to those who have urgent needs and are helpless. They should be given charity to meet their needs and make them independent of means.

وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ
and the traveler.

The traveller is a stranger who is cut off in a foreign land. He should be helped on his way by spending on that which will help him to reach his destination.

ALLĀH singled out these categories for mention because of the severity of their need. Then ALLĀH spoke in more general terms:

وَمَا تَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ
And whatever you do of good deeds, truly, ALLĀH knows it well.

And whatever good you do of charity to these people and others, and all kinds of acts of obedience and worship - because they all come under the heading of good. ALLĀH is aware of it and will reward you for it and preserve that reward for you, each according to his intention and sincerity, how much or how little he spent, the severity of the need for it, and the impact of it and how beneficial it was.

{Tafsi‌r As-Sa'di}

#sadi #baqarah (2:215)

https://t.me/Tafseer_Benefits

SAYING "IF ALLĀH WILLS" WHEN PLANNING FUTURE ACTIONS

ALLĀH says:

**وَلَا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَيْءٍ إِنِّي فَاعِلٌ ذَلِكَ غَدًا إِلاَّ أَن يَشَاء اللَّهُ

And never say of anything, “I will definitely do that tomorrow,” without adding, “if ALLĀH wills!”**

This prohibition is like others; although it was addressed to the Messenger (ﷺ) for a specific reason, it is also applicable to all accountable individuals. ALLĀH forbade the individual to say, concerning matters in the future, “I will definitely do that” without also mentioning the will of ALLĀH. This is so as to avoid falling into error, which is speaking of the unseen future without being certain as to whether he will do it or not, or whether it will happen or not. That is because failing to say “if ALLĀH wills” is attributing the action to the will of the individual, independently of ALLĀH, and that is not allowed, because the will is all ALLĀH’s.

وَمَا تَشَاۤءُونَ إِلَّاۤ أَن یَشَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ
And you do not will except that ALLĀH wills - Lord of the worlds. {at-Takwīr: 29}

Moreover, mentioning the will of ALLĀH makes things easier, brings barakah (blessing) and is a means of seeking the help of one’s Lord.

{Tafsi‌r As-Sa'di}

#Sadi #Kahf (18:24)

Abu Hurayrah (may ALLĀH be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of ALLĀH (ﷺ) said:

Suleiman bin Dawud (peace be upon them both) said: "Tonight I will go round (i.e. have sexual relations with) one hundred women (my wives) everyone of whom will deliver a male child who will fight in ALLĀH'S Cause."

On that an Angel said to him, "Say: 'If ALLĀH will.' " But Solomon did not say it and forgot to say it. Then he had sexual relations with them but none of them delivered any child except for one who gave birth to a half-formed child.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, **"If Solomon had said: 'If ALLĀH will,' ALLĀH would have fulfilled his desire and that saying would have made him more hopeful."

{al-Bukhari #5242}**

https://t.me/Tafseer_Benefits

BRIBERY IS PROHIBITED AND SINFUL

ALLĀH says;

وَلَا تَأْكُلُواْ أَمْوَالَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتُدْلُواْ بِهَا إِلَى الْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُواْ فَرِيقًا مِّنْ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالاِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
Do not consume one another's property unjustly, nor give bribery to the rulers that you may knowingly eat up a part of others' property sinfully.
It is reported in the Two Sahihs that Umm Salamah narrated that ALLAH'S Messenger ﷺ said:

"I am only human! You people present your cases to me, and as some of you may be more eloquent and persuasive in presenting his argument, I might issue a judgment in his benefit. So, if I give a Muslim's right to another, I am really giving him a piece of fire; so he should not take it."

The Ayah and the Hadith prove that the judgment of the authorities in any case does not change the reality of the truth. Hence, the ruling does not allow what is in fact prohibited or prohibit what is in fact allowed. It is only applicable in that case. So if the ruling agrees with the truth, then there is no harm in this case. Otherwise, the judge will acquire his reward, while the cheater will acquire the evil burden. This is why ALLĀH said:

وَلَا تَأْكُلُواْ أَمْوَالَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتُدْلُواْ بِهَا إِلَى الْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُواْ فَرِيقًا مِّنْ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالاِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
Do not consume one another's property unjustly, nor give bribery to the rulers that you may knowingly eat up a part of others' property sinfully.
meaning, `While you know the falsehood of what you claim.'

Qatadah said: "O son of Adam! Know that the judge's ruling does not allow you what is prohibited or prohibit you from what is allowed. The judge only rules according to his best judgment and according to the testimony of the witnesses. The judge is only human and is bound to make mistakes.

Know that if the judge erroneously rules in some one's favor, then that person will still encounter the dispute when the disputing parties meet Allah on the Day of Resurrection. Then, the unjust person will be judged swiftly and precisely with that which will surpass whatever he acquired by the erroneous judgment he received in the life of this world."

{Tafsi‌r Ibn Kathīr}

#ibnkathir #baqarah (2:188)

https://t.me/Tafseer_Benefits

ASSERTING THE GREATNESS OF THE QUR'AN

ALLĀH the Exalted emphasizes the greatness of the Qur'an, its high status and of being worthy of making hearts humble and rent asunder upon hearing it, because of the true promises and sure threats that it contains,

**لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْانَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ

Had WE sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and splitting from fear of ALLĀH.**

If this is the case with a mountain which is hard and huge, that if it was made able to comprehend and understand this Qur'an, will feel humble and crumble from fear of ALLĀH the Exalted, then what about you -- O mankind Why do your hearts not feel softness and humbleness from the fear of ALLĀH, even though you understand ALLAH'S command and comprehend HIS Book.

This is why ALLĀH said (next),

وَتِلْكَ الاَْمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُون
Such are the parables which WE put forward to mankind that they may reflect.

There is a Hadith of the Mutawatir grade that states,

The Messenger of ALLĀH ﷺ had someone make him a Minbar. Before that, he used to stand next to a tree trunk in the Masjid to deliver speeches. So, when the Minbar was made and placed in the Masjid, the Prophet ﷺ came to deliver a speech and passed the tree trunk, headed towards the Minbar, the tree trunk started weeping, just like an infant. The tree trunk missed hearing the remembrance of ALLĀH and the revelation that were being recited next to it.

In one of the narrations for this Hadith, Al-Hasan Al-Basri said after narrating the Hadith,

"You - mankind -- are more worthy to miss the Messenger of ALLĀH ﷺ than the tree trunk!"

{Tafsi‌r Ibn Kathīr}

#ibnkathir #Hashr (59:12}

https://t.me/Tafseer_Benefits

BEING KIND TO DEBTORS WHO FACE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

ALLĀH commands creditors to be patient with debtors who are having a hard time financially,

وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَى مَيْسَرَةٍ
(And If it is difficult for someone to repay a debt, postpone it until a time of ease.)

During the time of Jahiliyyah, when the debt came to term, the creditor would say to the debtor, "Either pay now or interest will be added to the debt."

ALLĀH encouraged creditors to give debtors respite regarding their debts and promised all that is good, and a great reward from HIM for this righteous deed,

وَأَن تَصَدَّقُواْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
(And if you waive it as an act of charity, it will be better for you, if only you knew.),

meaning, if you forfeit your debts and cancel them completely.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Sulayman bin Buraydah said that his father said,

'I heard the Messenger of ALLĀH ﷺ say,

"Whoever gives time to a debtor facing hard times, will gain charity of equal proportions for each day he gives."'...
Ahmad recorded that Muhammad bin Kab Al-Qurazi said that;

Abu Qatadah had a debt on a man, who used to hide from Abu Qatadah when he looked for him to pay what he owed him. One day, Abu Qatadah came looking for the debtor and a young boy came out, and he asked him about the debtor and found out that he was in the house eating.

Abu Qatadah said in a loud voice, "O Fellow! Come out, for I was told that you are in the house."

The man came out and Abu Qatadah asked him, "Why are you hiding from me?"

The man said, "I am having a hard time financially, and I do not have any money."

Abu Qatadah said, "By ALLĀH, are you truly facing a hard time?"

He said, "Yes."

Abu Qatadah cried and said, "I heard the Messenger of ALLĀH ﷺ say,

"Whoever gives time to his debtor, or forgives the debt, will be in the shade of the Throne (of ALLĀH) on the Day of Resurrection."

Muslim also recorded this Hadith in his Sahih.Al-Hafiz Abu Yala Al-Mawsili recorded that Hudhayfah said that the Messenger of ALLĀH ﷺ said,

"On the Day of Resurrection, one of ALLAH'S servants will be summoned before HIM and HE will ask him, "What deeds did you perform for ME in your life?"
***He will say, "O Lord! In my life, I have not performed a deed for YOUR sake that equals an atom," three times.

The third time, the servant will add, "O Lord! You granted me wealth and I used to be a merchant. I used to be lenient, giving easy terms to those well-off and giving time to the debtors who faced hard times."

ALLĀH will say, "I Am the Most Worthy of giving easy terms. Therefore, enter Paradise."
*{Tafsir Ibn Kathīr}

#ibnkathir #baqarah (2:280)

https://t.me/Tafseer_Benefits

THE SUPPORT THAT COMES WITH PATIENCE AND PRAYER

ALLĀH says:

وَٱسۡتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِۚ
And seek help through patience and prayer.

Here, ALLĀH commands them (the believers) to seek help in their affairs by being patient in all situations. That means being patient in obeying ALLĀH so that one may fulfil one’s obligations properly, and being patient in refraining from disobedience, so that one may be able to keep away from it altogether. It also includes patience in accepting the decree of ALLĀH when it is painful, so as to avoid becoming angry or discontented with it. Having patience and compelling oneself to do what ALLĀH has enjoined is a great help in all situations. As a person strives to be patient, ALLĀH will grant him patience. That also applies to prayer, which is the foundation of faith and keeps one from committing shameful and evil deeds. By means of prayer, a person may seek help in all his affairs.

وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ
And indeed, it is difficult

That is, prayer is difficult.

إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلۡخَٰشِعِينَ
Except for the humbly submissive ˹to ALLĀH˺

It is easy and light for them, because humility, fear of ALLĀH and hope for that which is with HIM makes them do it happily, because they have the hope of reward and the fear of punishment. This is unlike the one who is not like that, for he has no motivation to do it, and if he does do it, it is one of the most burdensome of things for him.

Humility means submission of the heart, being tranquil and turning to ALLĀH, expressing one’s utter need of HIM, having faith in HIM and believing in the meeting with HIM.

{Tafsi‌r As-Sa'di}#sadi #Baqarah (2:45)

https://t.me/Tafseer_Benefits

THE STORY OF ADAM AND IBLIS

ALLĀH points out to the Children of Adam the enmity of Iblis towards them and their father before them, and rebukes those who follow him and go against their Creator and Master. It is HE who created them from nothing and sustains and nourishes them by HIS kindness, yet they still took Iblis as their friend and declared their enmity towards ALLĀH.

So ALLĀH says:
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَإيِكَةِ
And (remember) when WE said to the angels,

meaning all the angels, as was mentioned in the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah:

اسْجُدُوا لاِدَمَ
Prostrate yourselves unto Adam,

a prostration of respect and honor, as ALLĀH says:

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـيِكَةِ إِنِّى خَـلِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَـلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ ۞ فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُواْ لَهُ سَـجِدِينَ
And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels, "I am going to create a human (Adam) from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud. So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him the soul which I created for him, then fall (you) down prostrating yourselves unto him. (15:28-29)

فَسَجَدُوا إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ
So they prostrated themselves except Iblis. He was one of the Jinn;

meaning, his original nature betrayed him. He had been created from smokeless fire, whereas the angels had been created from light, as is stated in Sahih Muslim where it is reported that A'ishah, may ALLĀH be pleased with her, said that the Messenger of ALLĀH ﷺ said:

**خُلِقَتِ الْمَلَيِكَةُ مِنْ نُورٍ وَخُلِقَ إِبْلِيسُ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ وَخُلِقَ ادَمُ مِمَّا وُصِفَ لَكُم

The angels were created from light, Iblis was created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you.**
When matters are crucial, every vessel leaks that which it contains and is betrayed by its true nature. Iblis used to do what the angels did and resembled them in their devotion and worship, so he was included when they were addressed, but he disobeyed and went against what he was told to do. So ALLĀH points out here that he was one of the Jinn, i.e., he was created from fire, as HE says elsewhere:

أَنَاْ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ
I am better than he. YOU created me from fire, and You created him from clay. (38:76)

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: "Iblis was not one of the angels, not even for a second. He was the origin of the Jinn just as Adam, upon him be peace, was the origin of mankind."

{Tafsi‌r Ibn Kathīr}

#ibnkathir #Kahf (18:50)

https://t.me/Tafseer_Benefits

ADHERING TO TAWHĪD UNTIL DEATH

ALLĀH said,

**يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَ تَمُوتُنَّ إَلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

(Yaqub saying to his sons) "O my sons! ALLĀH has chosen for you the (true) religion, then die not except as Muslims."**

Meaning, perform righteous deeds during your lifetime and remain on this path, so that ALLĀH will endow you with the favor of dying upon it.

Usually, one dies upon the path that he lived on and is resurrected according to what he died on. ALLĀH, the Most Generous, helps those who seek to do good deeds to remain on the righteous path.

This by no means contradicts the authentic Hadith that says,

**Man might perform the works of the people of Paradise until only a span of outstretched arms or a cubit separates him from it, then the Book (destiny) takes precedence, and he performs the works of the people of the Fire and thus enters it.

Also, man might perform the works of the people of the Fire until only a span of outstretched arms or a cubit separates him from the Fire, but the Book takes precedence and he performs the works of the people of Paradise and thus enters it.**

ALLĀH said:

**فَأَمَّا مَنۡ أَعۡطَىٰ وَٱتَّقَىٰ وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَسَنُیَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡیُسۡرَىٰ وَأَمَّا مَنۢ بَخِلَ وَٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰ وَكَذَّبَ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ  فَسَنُیَسِّرُهُۥ لِلۡعُسۡرَىٰ وَمَا یُغۡنِی عَنۡهُ مَالُهُۥۤ إِذَا تَرَدَّىٰۤ

As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to ALLĀH and fears HIM. And believes in Al-Husna. WE will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness).

But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient. And belies Al-Husna (none has the right to be worshipped except ALLĀH). WE will make smooth for him the path for evil.

[Surah Al-Layl: 5-11]**

{Tafsi‌r Ibn Kathīr}

#ibnkathir #Baqarah (2:132)

https://t.me/Tafseer_Benefits