Surah Al-Hashr (59) — Ayah 7

(Ayah 7) ➊ In {مَاۤ اَفَآءَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى رَسُوْلِهٖ مِنْ اَهْلِ الْقُرٰى : ’’ الْقُرٰى ‘‘}, the "alif lam" is for specification, therefore the translation is "those towns."
➋ { فَلِلّٰهِ وَ لِلرَّسُوْلِ وَ لِذِي الْقُرْبٰى …:} In this verse, a general principle has been stated that any wealth that comes into the hands of Muslims without military action is considered the property of the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal), and nothing from it will be given to the fighters, because it is not the result of their effort but rather the result of the collective strength that Allah has granted to His Messenger (peace be upon him), his Ummah, and the system he established. Therefore, this wealth is entirely distinct from the spoils of war (ghanima); it is called "fay" wealth, and it applies to both movable and immovable property. The income from jizya and kharaj, which an Islamic state receives from non-Muslims, is also included in fay wealth. The complete authority to distribute this was given to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and after him, this authority belongs to the leader of the Muslims, who uses it to spend in the avenues prescribed by Allah. In this verse, Allah has also mentioned the avenues where fay wealth should be spent. These are the same avenues in which the fifth (khums) of the spoils of war is spent; for fay wealth, not just a fifth, but the entire amount is to be spent in these avenues. For details, see the commentary of Surah Al-Anfal (41).
➌ {كَيْ لَا يَكُوْنَ دُوْلَةًۢ بَيْنَ الْاَغْنِيَآءِ مِنْكُمْ : ’’ دُوْلَةً ‘‘ ’’دَالَ يَدُوْلُ دَوْلَةً ‘‘ (ن)’’اَلزَّمَانُ‘‘} The changing of times from one state to another, as He said: «وَ تِلْكَ الْاَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ » [ آل عمران : ۱۴۰] "And these are the days which We alternate among the people." {’’ دُوْلَةً ‘‘} That which is taken from one and given to another, sometimes with this one, sometimes with that one.
"So that the wealth of fay does not circulate only among the rich among you"—in terms of the context, this means that fay wealth should not be distributed among the fighters, most of whom have already become wealthy and are no longer needy or poor, but rather it should reach the destitute. However, this also lays down the foundation of the Islamic economic system: in Islam, the flow of wealth is not from the poor to the rich, so that the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, but rather the flow of wealth is from the rich to the poor, giving the entire society the opportunity to benefit. The greatest means of wealth accumulating in a few hands is interest, which Allah has declared forbidden. Zakat has been made obligatory for the distribution of wealth, the command to take a fifth from the spoils of war has been given, the entire fay wealth is to be distributed in five avenues, voluntary charity is repeatedly encouraged, expiations have been prescribed for many shortcomings, and the law of inheritance has been made such that the wealth of every deceased person is dispersed rather than remaining consolidated. Miserliness has been severely condemned, and spending in the way of Allah has been repeatedly emphasized and its virtue mentioned. If these commands are acted upon, wealth can never accumulate in a few hands.
➍ {وَ مَاۤ اٰتٰىكُمُ الرَّسُوْلُ فَخُذُوْهُ وَ مَا نَهٰىكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوْا :} In terms of the context, this means that whatever the Messenger gives you from the fay wealth, take it, and from whatever he withholds, refrain. Accept his decision without any objection or displeasure. Since the intention of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was to distribute the wealth of Banu Nadir among the Muhajirun so that they could stand on their own feet, it is as if the Ansar are being told that if the Messenger does not give you something on any occasion, do not demand it; it is at the discretion of the Messenger to give to all the deserving or to consider some more deserving and give to them and not to others. According to the context, this is the meaning of the verse, but the words of the verse are general, so it is not limited only to the distribution of wealth, but it commands obedience to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in every matter. This is also clarified by the fact that Allah did not say: {’’ مَا أَتَاكُمُ الرَّسُوْلُ فَخُذُوْهُ وَمَا مَنَعَكُمْ فَلَا تَأْخُذُوْهُ‘‘} "Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he does not give you, do not take," but rather, "Whatever he forbids you from, abstain from it." This shows that the purpose of the verse is obedience to his command. Thus, this verse has given the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the status of a permanent law, and it is not conditional that only the command found in the Qur'an should be followed; therefore, any command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that is established by an authentic hadith is obligatory to act upon. This is supported by the hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ دَعُوْنِيْ مَا تَرَكْتُكُمْ ، إِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِسُؤَالِهِمْ وَاخْتِلاَفِهِمْ عَلٰی أَنْبِيَاهمْ ، فَإِذَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَاجْتَنِبُوْهُ ، وَ إِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِأَمْرٍ فَأْتُوْا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ ] [ بخاري، الاعتصام بالکتاب والسنۃ، باب الاقتداء بسنن رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم : ۷۲۸۸ ] "Leave me as long as I leave you, for those before you were destroyed only because of their excessive questioning and disagreement with their prophets. So when I forbid you from something, avoid it, and when I command you to do something, do as much of it as you can." And the eminent Companion Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) also understood this from the verse. His student Alqamah narrates that once he said: [ لَعَنَ اللّٰهُ الْوَاشِمَاتِ وَالْمُوْتَشِمَاتِ وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ وَالْمُتَفَلِّجَاتِ لِلْحُسْنِ، الْمُغَيِّرَاتِ خَلْقَ اللّٰهِ ] "Allah has cursed those women who tattoo, and those who get tattooed, and those who pluck facial hair, and those who create gaps between their teeth for beauty, changing the creation of Allah." A woman from the tribe of Asad, Umm Ya'qub, heard this and came and said, "I have heard that you have cursed such and such women?" He replied, "Why should I not curse those whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has cursed and which is found in the Book of Allah?" The woman said, "I have read the entire Qur'an between the two covers, but I did not find what you are saying." Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "If you had read it, you would have found it. Did you not read: «وَ مَاۤ اٰتٰىكُمُ الرَّسُوْلُ فَخُذُوْهُ وَ مَا نَهٰىكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوْا » [ الحشر : ۷ ] 'And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you from, abstain from it.'?" She said, "Of course." He said, "Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) has forbidden it." She said, "I think your wife does these things." He said, "Go and see." She went and looked but found nothing of what she sought, so (Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him) said, "If she were like that, she would not be with us." [ بخاري، التفسیر، باب : «وما آتاکم الرسول فخذوہ» : ۴۸۸۶ ]
➎ {وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ شَدِيْدُ الْعِقَابِ :} That is, fear Allah and remember! If you do not comply with the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or do not refrain from what he has forbidden, then Allah's punishment is very severe.

The explanation of this verse has been given along with the previous verse.

Whatever (wealth) Allah has granted to His Messenger from the people of the villages without battle [7], it belongs to Allah, the Messenger, the near relatives, the orphans, the needy, and the traveler, so that it does not circulate only among your rich [8]. And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it [9]. And fear Allah. Surely, Allah is severe in punishment.

[7]
The Wealth of Fay Belongs to the Treasury (Bayt al-Mal):

In the previous verse, the command was only regarding the abandoned properties of Banu Nadir. In this verse, a general principle has been stated that any wealth which comes into the hands of Muslims without military operations will be considered the property of the Bayt al-Mal (public treasury). The Mujahideen will not receive anything from it, because it is not the result of their effort, but rather the result of that collective power which Allah has granted to His Messenger ﷺ, his Ummah, and the system established by him. Therefore, this wealth has a completely distinct status from the spoils of war (ghanima). The ruler of the Muslims has authoritative control over such wealth. The term "wealth of fay" applies to both movable and immovable property. The income from jizya and kharaj, which an Islamic state receives from non-Muslims, is also included in the wealth of fay. In this verse, Allah Almighty has also stated the categories of expenditure for the wealth of fay. After the life of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, is the category of spending on his relatives still valid or has it ended? There is a difference of opinion on this. Some scholars say that since the wealth of zakat is forbidden for Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib, the needy among them should be served from such wealth.

[8]
A Few Golden Principles of the Economic System of Islam:

In this brief sentence, the economic system of Islam has been described as if the ocean has been contained in a jug. In terms of the context, its meaning is only that the wealth of fay should not be distributed among the Mujahideen, most of whom have already become wealthy and are no longer needy or poor, and that wealth should not be distributed among them, but rather should reach the destitute. However, a general principle has been stated here that in an Islamic state, the flow of wealth should be from the rich to the poor, not from the poor to the rich. The greatest means of the flow of wealth from the poor to the rich is interest (riba), all forms of which have been completely forbidden. And zakat, i.e., obligatory charity, obligatory alms, and voluntary alms, which have been commanded and encouraged in the Quran in many places, all have the purpose that the flow of wealth should be from the rich to the poor. The law of inheritance in Islam strikes at capitalism and the concentration of wealth. As a result, even if someone possesses wealth worth millions or billions, it is dispersed and divided among hundreds of people within a few generations. Here, it seems necessary to clarify a few matters. One is that if wealth accumulates with a few capitalists, class division increases, the rich become richer day by day, and the poor become poorer. Mutual hatred and enmity arise between these classes, which becomes a prelude to great tribulations. Secondly, the faster the circulation of wealth, the greater the prosperity in the national economy. Thirdly, the speed of circulation of wealth increases only when the poor are helped and their purchasing power is created; if wealth continues to accumulate with the rich, the speed of circulation decreases to an astonishing extent. It is very difficult to explain these matters in these footnotes. For details, see my article "Islamic Economy and Interest," published in the quarterly journal Minhaj, Islamic Economy Number, January, April 1992.

[9]
The Command of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is a Definite Legal Proof and Obligatory to Follow:

This sentence provides a conclusive argument for accepting the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as proof. However, the well-known rejecter of hadith, Hafiz Aslam Sahib Jeerajpuri, has objected that this sentence is about the distribution of the wealth of fay; it has nothing to do with hadith. Here, the word "aata" is used in contrast to "naha," and people, due to misunderstanding, have taken it in the sense of "command" or "said," whereas this word has appeared hundreds of times in the Quran and is never used in that sense. Rather, everywhere it means ﴿اعطاء﴾, i.e., "to give." Therefore, this reasoning is not correct. [مقام حديث ص 126]

Now see that "aata" meaning ﴿اِعْطَاء﴾ is the opposite of "manaa" (to prevent), but Allah Almighty did not use this word. And the opposite of "naha" is "amara" (to command), but Allah Almighty did not use the word "amara" in contrast to "naha." It is as if Hafiz Sahib, only to support his own view, is objecting to the eloquence and rhetoric of the Noble Quran, that "naha" never means "not to give." Then, even if the Quran had actually used the word ﴿نَهٰكُمْ﴾ in contrast to ﴿اتٰكُمْ﴾, it could not have been restricted to this particular incident, i.e., the distribution of the wealth of fay, because it is a general principle that if a command comes in a particular incident, the command is general. All the more so since Allah Almighty, by using the word ﴿نَهٰكُمْ﴾ in contrast to ﴿اٰتٰكُم﴾, has completely eliminated the suspicion that this command is related only to this particular incident or to similar incidents that may arise later. Thus, by using the word ﴿نَهَاكُمْ﴾ in contrast to ﴿اٰتٰكُمْ﴾, Allah Almighty has, on the one hand, provided a solution to the issue at hand, and on the other hand, created such generality in this command that only those who have some taste for the Arabic language can truly appreciate. Now, as for who is actually mistaken, for that, first consider the following hadith:

An Objection of the Rejecters of Hadith and Its Answer, the Explanation of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud ؓ:

Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas'ud ؓ said that the Prophet ﷺ cursed the woman who tattoos, the woman who gets tattooed, the woman who plucks facial hair for beauty, and the woman who spaces her teeth for beauty, those who alter Allah's creation. This hadith reached a woman of Banu Asad whose kunya was Umm Ya'qub. She came to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud ؓ and said: "I have heard that you have cursed such and such women." He said: "I will certainly curse those whom the Prophet ﷺ has cursed, and in Allah's Book there is a curse upon them." The woman said: "I have read the entire Quran, which is between two covers, and I have not found any curse upon these women in it." He said: "If you had read the Quran properly, you would have found this issue. Have you not read in the Quran that whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you from, abstain from it?" The woman said: "Yes, this verse is present in the Quran." Sayyiduna Abdullah ؓ said: "Then the Prophet ﷺ has forbidden these things." She said: "Your wife also does these things." He said: "Go and see." When she went, she found nothing of the sort. Sayyiduna Abdullah ؓ said: "If my wife did such things, could she have stayed with me?" [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير]

Now the question is: were the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) the ones who understood the correct meaning of this verse, or was it Hafiz Sahib? Then Umm Ya'qub, who, if not a Sahabiyyah, was at least a Tabi'iyyah, after hearing this reasoning from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas'ud ؓ, did not say that this command is only about the distribution of the wealth of fay, or that the meaning of ﴿اٰتٰي﴾ is ﴿اعطاء﴾, but rather, by admitting "I have understood," she affirmed the meaning understood by the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). This understanding was transferred from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to the Companions, then from the Companions to the Tabi'een, from them to the Tabi' Tabi'een, then to the hadith scholars. So, which era is there in which this meaning was not understood correctly, which Hafiz Sahib is calling a misunderstanding of the people? And that meaning is that the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ is also part of the Shariah, and that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to consider such commands as being in the Book of Allah. Also, the Prophet ﷺ said: "Soon there will be a well-fed man among you, reclining on his couch, who, upon hearing my hadiths, will say: 'Between us and you is the Quran (and that is sufficient); consider as lawful what it makes lawful and as unlawful what it makes unlawful.' Beware! I have been given the Quran and something like it along with it." [ترمذي۔ ابو داؤد۔ ابن ماجه۔ مسند احمد۔ بيهقي دارمي بحواله مشكٰوة]

It should be clear that following his Sunnah is also necessary because, without it, the commands of the Quran cannot be fulfilled in any way. Therefore, whoever does not accept the authority of the Sunnah or hadith is, in reality, a rejecter of the Quran as well. In fact, he is compelled to become one.