Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 273

After the encouragement to spend in the way of Allah, now specifically some people are being mentioned who are most deserving of help and financial support. Allah Almighty has described six of their qualities, and all these qualities were found in the Ashab al-Suffah, so the first and foremost example of this verse is them, and then until the Day of Judgment, whoever possesses these qualities will be most deserving of financial support. Now, observe these qualities:

➊ { ”لِلْفُقَرَآءِ“ } Here, the reason for their poverty is not mentioned; in Surah Hashr it is stated: «لِلْفُقَرَآءِ الْمُهٰجِرِيْنَ الَّذِيْنَ اُخْرِجُوْا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَ اَمْوَالِهِمْ » [الحشر : ۸ ] “(This wealth) is for those needy who were driven out from their homes and their possessions.” Now they were empty-handed, neither did they have wealth nor a home. For them, a platform was made in Masjid Nabawi. Their number was four hundred, which kept increasing and decreasing due to being sent on expeditions and campaigns.

➋ { ”الَّذِيْنَ اُحْصِرُوْا فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ“ } “Ihsar” in language means that a person faces an obstacle in doing what he wants to do, for example, illness, old age, lack of resources, or an enemy, etc. The purpose is that these people are restrained in the way of Allah, meaning jihad and seeking knowledge have prevented them from earning a livelihood; they are sitting in wait for the command to come so they can go out for jihad. These people left their homes for Allah, left their wealth and livestock for Allah, chose poverty, and now have devoted themselves in the way of Allah. Even now, any mujahid or student of religion who, instead of business or employment, has devoted himself to jihad and acquiring religious knowledge, spending on them is the foremost duty.

➌ { ”لَا يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ ضَرْبًا فِي الْاَرْضِ“ } That is, due to jihad and seeking knowledge, they cannot travel.

➍ { ”يَحْسَبُهُمُ الْجَاهِلُ اَغْنِيَآءَ مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِ“ } That is, due to their self-sufficiency, dignity, and avoidance of asking, an unaware person thinks they are wealthy. The servant (‘Abd al-Salam) submits that my father, Hafiz Muhammad Abu al-Qasim (may Allah have mercy on him), told me an incident from his student days that he used to study in those days in a village of Ferozepur called “Lakhoki.” His father had passed away, there was poverty at home, and in the winter season, he did not even have a shirt. He said that he spent those six months without a shirt, wrapping himself in a “dohr” (double shawl), and did not let anyone know that he did not have a shirt. Then his mother sent some money earned from picking cotton, so he made a shirt. [اَللّٰھُمَّ اغْفِرْلَہُ وَارْفَعْ دَرَجَتَہُ فِی الْمَھْدِیِّیْنَ ]

➎ { ”تَعْرِفُهُمْ بِسِيْمٰىهُم“ } So you will recognize them by their sign. Some commentators have said that it means you will recognize their poverty by their weakness due to hunger and the paleness of their faces, but if this is the meaning, then even an unaware person can recognize it, so the meaning is the light and radiance on their faces that was evident due to faith and righteous deeds, as it is said: «سِيْمَاهُمْ فِيْ وُجُوْهِهِمْ مِّنْ اَثَرِ السُّجُوْدِ » [الفتح: ۳۹ ] “Their mark is on their faces from the effect of prostration.” The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) were recognized by a special radiance on their faces. See the commentary of the last verse of Surah al-Fath.

➏ { ”لَا يَسْـَٔلُوْنَ النَّاسَ اِلْحَافًا“ } They do not cling to people and ask. Apparently, this means that they do ask, but not by clinging to people, but this meaning is not correct, because if this were the case, then the previous two sentences would be pointless, because once they have asked, where is the abstinence from asking, and then what is the need to look for a sign on their faces for recognition, their poverty would be evident from their asking. Therefore, the meaning of this sentence is that they neither ask people nor cling to them. Here, { ”لَا“ } is not only for {”يَسْـَٔلُوْنَ“} but also for { ”اِلْحَافًا“ }. In fact, this is a condemnation of the habit of beggars who do so, but our poor do not do this. The example is that someone says to another, “My father was not a notorious thief.” This does not mean he was a thief but not famous, rather he is alluding that your father was like that. As the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ لَيْسَ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِالطَّعَّانِ وَلاَ اللَّعَّانِ ] “A believer is not one who curses much or insults much.” [ترمذی، البروالصلۃ، باب ما جاء فی اللعنۃ : ۱۹۷۷، عن عبد اللہ رضی اللہ عنہ و صححہ الألبانی ] This does not mean that he curses or insults a little, rather it is an allusion that a disbeliever does so, not a believer. The evidence for this is found in another hadith; the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The needy is not the one who goes around to people, who is given a morsel or two or a date or two, and then moves on, but the needy is the one who does not have enough wealth to make him independent, and his condition is not known so that charity is given to him, and he does not stand and ask people.” [بخاری، الزکاۃ، باب قول اللہ عزوجل : « للفقراء الذین احصروا … » : ۱۴۷۹، عن أبی ہریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ]

In begging too, those devoted to Allah were so dignified
That the wealthy did not dare to give charity for fear of the beggar

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) greatly condemned asking. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “A man keeps asking from people until he comes on the Day of Resurrection in such a state that there will not be a piece of flesh on his face.” [بخاری، الزکوٰۃ، باب من سأل الناس تکثرًا : ۱۴۷۴، عن ابن عمررضی اللہ عنہما ]

‘Awf ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took a special pledge from some companions that they would not associate anything with Allah, would pray five prayers, would obey, and said a secret thing privately: do not ask people for anything. ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) says: “Then I saw some of those men, if his whip fell, he would not ask anyone to hand it to him.” [مسلم، الزکٰوۃ، باب کراھۃ مسئلۃ الناس : ۱۰۴۳ ] However, necessity is a different matter, for in necessity even eating pork is permitted. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has permitted asking for three types of people: one who has taken on a guarantee (for paying blood money or someone’s liability), the second is the one who is afflicted by hunger and three wise men of his people testify to his hunger, the third is the one who is struck by a calamity that destroys all his wealth. These three are permitted to ask until their need is fulfilled; when the need is fulfilled, they should stop asking. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “O Qabisah! Other than these, whatever asking there is, is forbidden; the one who asks eats what is forbidden.” [مسلم، الزکاۃ، باب من تحل لہ المسئلۃ : ۱۰۴۴، عن قبیصۃ بن مخارق رضی اللہ عنہ ]