Zia Sheikh – Tafseer Of Surah Bani Israel Session 7
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AI: Transcript ©
I'm going through the Tafseer of Surah Bani
Israel.
Today inshallah we're going to start from ayah
number 26, the commandment of Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala to respect the parents, in which
Allah tells us, وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا
إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَارِذَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا and it went into detail
about how to deal with the parents in
old age, not to talk with them with
any kind of respect, be humble to them,
treat them well, make dua for them, etc.
Moving on from that similar subject, Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala then goes into talking about
the importance of the other relationships and the
people that are needy around us, how to
deal with them.
So he says, first and foremost, وَآتِذَا الْقُرْبَ
حَقَّ Give the relative his right.
Now that right can be many things, it's
a very broad statement, the right of the
relatives, it can be basically participating in their
events, when they're sick, going to visit them,
and even when it comes to charity, as
the saying goes in English, charity begins at
home, charity can be given and should be
given more to relatives than to other people.
So if you have a needy relative, if
you have a needy cousin, needy aunt, needy
uncle, you can even give them zakat, your
own zakat wealth, you can give it to
them, without even informing them that this is
zakat that is being given to them, if
of course they are needy for zakat and
they are recipients of zakat, they are deserving
of zakat, then you can give them zakat
without informing them, and this in fact makes
the reward for the charity double fold.
You get the reward for giving in charity,
and on top of that, you get the
reward for what's known as صِلَةُ الْأَرْحَامِ meaning
enjoining good relationships with the relatives.
So Allah says, وَآتِذَا الْقُرْبَ حَقَّ Make sure
you fulfill the rights of the relatives.
وَالْمِسْكِينَ and of course the miskeen, the poor
person, the person who is needy, make sure
you fulfill his right.
Whenever he has a right, whenever he has
a need, fulfill the right, give to him
whenever he needs.
وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ and for the wayfarer, the person
who's lost, the person who's lost his money,
he's lost his possessions, to get him back
to his destination, this is known as اِبْنَ
السَّبِيلِ, the person who's a wayfarer.
And this person, in fact, he may be
a traveler, and he may own lots of
possessions, back in his home country or wherever
he's from, but because in his current state,
he may have lost everything, and he needs
help to get back home, he is also
a deserving recipient of Zakat.
So وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ, the wayfarer, the traveler, you
take care of him and fulfill his right,
وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا and don't be extravagant.
So this can be extravagant in the general
sense, that in our spending of wealth, spending
of money, we should not be extravagant, and
on top of that, in giving, in charity,
we should not be extravagant also, which InshaAllah
we're going to discuss in the next few
ayahs.
Okay, Allah SWT brings that up.
So the issue is that Islam is a
religion of moderation, not a religion of extremism,
going to extremes.
Even in the issue of spending in charity,
Allah SWT tells us not to be extreme,
and not to spend too much, and not
to be Bakheer, but take the middle path.
Allah SWT has described this Ummah as أُمَّةً
وَسَطَةً the middle Ummah, the Ummah that takes
the middle path always.
And in every respect, we should try to
do that.
Not to be extreme even in our worship.
Many people, they become extreme in worshipping, and
what happens is, they become overpowered by it,
and they become defeated.
The Prophet ﷺ, he said that لَن يُشَادَ
الدِّينِ إِلَّا غَلَبَةً When the deen is competed
with, then the deen overpowers the person, and
a person cannot keep up.
So a person, for example, he thinks to
himself that from now on, I'm going to
pray Tahajjud every single night, and I'm going
to wake up at 3 o'clock in
the morning, and 2 hours every night, I'm
going to devote to Tahajjud.
So what's going to happen?
After a week, 10 days, 2 weeks, person
is going to get tired, he has to
go to work, he has to, you know,
be productive, and his lack of sleep at
night is going to make him less productive.
So this is a form of going to
extremes, which a person cannot take care of,
and he's going to be defeated because of
it.
On the other hand, if a person thinks
to himself, that just 20 minutes or so
before Fajr time, I'm going to wake up,
make wudu, and 15 minutes I'm going to
pray Tahajjud, and wait for Fajr prayer, go
to the masjid and pray Fajr.
So he's basically, very simplistically, he's praying the
Tahajjud, he's getting the reward of Tahajjud, and
he's not doing it in such a way
that he's becoming overpowered by it.
So this person, he will be consistent.
So, Islam teaches us not to go to
extremes.
When a person goes to extremes, ultimately, he's
going to become the loser.
A person should always take the middle path
in everything.
So, walatu badhir tabdira means, do not be
extravagant, and particularly when it comes to extravagance
in wealth.
The scholars, they say, Mujahid says, lau anfaqa
insaanun maalahu kullahu fil haqq, lam yakun mubadhira.
If a person, he spends all of his
wealth in something that is deserving, and something
that is correct, then this person is not
making tabdhir, he's not being extravagant.
But on the other hand, walau anfaqun muddan
fi ghayri haqqin, kan mubadhira.
If a person, he spends one mud, mud
is something that basically, you can fit into
the palms of both of your hands.
If a person spends one mud, in something
that is not correct to spend in, that
does not deserve to be spent upon, then
this is tabdhir, and this is a form
of extravagance.
Qatada says, at tabdhiru annafaqatu fi maasiyatillahi ta
'ala.
Qatada says that, tabdhir, meaning extravagance, extravagance is
spending in the disobedience of Allah SWT.
Any money that is spent in the disobedience
of Allah SWT, that is extravagance, it is
going over the top, and it's incorrect, and
this is what is meant here, wala tubadhir
tabdhiru, do not be extravagant.
Innal mubadhirina kanu ikhwana shayateen.
The next ayah goes on to say, very
harshly, that the people that are extravagant, they
are the brothers of the shayateen.
They are the brothers of shayateen.
And again, all forms of extravagance are meant
here, including extravagance in wealth, spending in places
where we should not, and that is first
and foremost, wakana shaytanu li rabbihi kafura.
The shaytan, he was ungrateful to his Lord.
And actually, extravagance comes when there is ingratitude
in a person.
This is what happens, a person, for example,
he has a car, which is working perfectly
fine, and it takes him from point A
to point B, reliable, still under warranty, it
is usable, but a person just thinks that,
I have to get the newest model.
So this is, because he becomes ungrateful for
the blessing that he already had, that he
looks to something newer.
This is what happens.
So, it is a form of ingratitude that
pushes a person to make tabdil and become
extravagant.
So that is why, Allah SWT says that,
shaytan was disobedient to his Lord, he was
ungrateful to Allah SWT, and a person who
is ungrateful, he ends up becoming extravagant also.
The next ayah says, وَإِمَّا تُعْرِضَنَّ عَنْهُمْ وَبْتِغَاءَ
رَحْمَةٍ مِّن رَبِّكَ تَرُجُوهَا فَقُلْ لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَيْسُورًا
Now going back to the main point again,
Allah says, talking about those people that are
needy and they come to you for help.
Now they come to you for help, you
don't have anything to give them, what do
you do?
So Allah tells us here, if you turn
away from them, seeking a rahma from your
Lord that you hope for, meaning you hope
for money, you hope for wealth, but you
don't have it, people come to you, you
have to turn away from them because you
don't have that money.
So what are you supposed to do?
فَقُلْ لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَيْسُورًا Tell them some easy
words.
Tell them some nice words.
I don't have anything right now, InshaAllah I'm
going to get paid in a few days,
maybe when you come back, I'll take care
of you then.
Okay?
I don't have anything now, I don't think
I'll be able to help you.
May Allah SWT make things easy for you.
Maybe you can go to so and so,
and they will be able to help you.
Maybe you can go to the masjid, they
have a structure for helping out needy people,
maybe they can help you.
Don't be harsh, and don't be rough upon
the person, telling them, I don't have any
money to give you, why do you keep
coming back to me?
Don't say words like that.
فَقُلْ لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَيْسُورًا Say gentle words to
them, say nice words to them.
فَأَمَّ الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ وَأَمَّ السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ
Allah SWT tells us, a person who comes
to ask for you, do not scold him,
and do not be harsh with him.
The next ayah, again, goes back to that
issue of being cautious in spending, even spending
in charity.
Allah SWT says, وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى
عُنُقِكَ Do not make your hand tight to
your neck.
غُل basically is, the old days they used
to have slaves, and the slaves used to
have like a chain around their neck.
This was known as غُل.
And people's, the slaves sometimes, their hands used
to be tied to that chain itself.
So the hands are tied there.
So Allah SWT is giving the comparison to
a stingy person, that that person who is
stingy, he is like that person whose hands
are tied to those chains.
That he cannot move his hands to put
them in his pockets.
So Allah says, وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى
عُنُقِكَ Don't make your hands مغلولة, and chained
up to your neck.
وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ And also, do not
just spread them out completely.
فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَحْسُورًا Otherwise you're going to be
sitting مَلُومًا meaning blamed, and محسورة, I'll explain
what محسورة means, it basically means helpless.
But, what happens is, when a person is
stingy, he's going to be blamed, مَلُومًا, he's
going to be blamed, and محسورة, it's from
the word حسير, it's an animal that becomes
useless.
It's not useful for anything.
So what happens is, if a person spends
all of his money, now he has nothing
left, he becomes like a useless animal.
So even in the case of charity, a
person needs to be careful how he's spending.
Give in charity, give according to your needs,
capacity, give according to how much you can
give, but also make sure that you have
something left for yourself, for your family, for
your needs, and so on and so forth.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَقْدِرُ إِنَّهُ
كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيرًا بَصِيرًا Allah is giving a
general rule here, and He's saying that, Lord,
He spreads the wealth, gives a lot to
whom He wants, وَيَقْدِرُ and He tightens for
whom He wants.
So Allah gives more to some people, less
to some people, and that is His wisdom,
why He does that.
إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيرًا بَصِيرًا Indeed, He is
fully aware, and watching over His slaves.
So the reason that He gives more to
some people is because of His own wisdom,
He knows how they're going to react with
that money.
And He gives less to some people, because
He knows how they're going to react in
the state of poverty.
There's a hadith, in which the Prophet ﷺ
says, إِنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِي لِمَنْ لَا يُسْلِحُهُ إِلَّا
الْفَقْرِ وَلَوْ أَغْنَيْتُهُ لَأَفْسَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ دِينًا There are
some people, that they are only worthy of
being poor.
And if I give them wealth, Allah ﷻ
is saying in this hadith Qudsi, then I
will corrupt their deen for them.
So, in the state of poverty, they worship
Allah ﷻ, they are close to Allah ﷻ,
but once they get riches, it corrupts their
mind, it corrupts their actions, and they become
disobedient to Allah ﷻ.
So Allah ﷻ, knowing full well that person's
situation, He gives him less.
And then the hadith goes on to say,
وَإِنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِي لِمَنْ لَا يُسْلِحُهُ إِلَّا الْغِنَى
There are some of my slaves, who are
only worthy of being rich.
وَلَوْ أَفْقَرْتُهُ لَأَفْسَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ دِينًا If I give
him poverty, then I will corrupt his deen
for him.
Meaning, that that person in the state of
poverty, he will not be religious.
So, Allah ﷻ knowing all of these balances
and nuances about people, He gives according to
them.
And that's why He says, إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَبْسُطُ
الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتِرْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ اخْبِيرًا
مَسْيُرًا Indeed, your Lord, He gives, spreads the
rizq to whom He wants, and He tightens
it for whom He wants.
Indeed, He is aware and watching over His
slaves.
The next ayah says, وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ خَشْيَةً
إِمْلَاقًا Again, something to do with a person's
wealth.
Many people, they are afraid of bringing children
into the world.
How am I going to feed them?
How am I going to take care of
them?
I don't have the money to provide for
my child.
I don't have the resources to provide for
my child.
So, they are afraid of bringing children into
the world.
So, Allah SWT, He tells us here, Do
not kill your children for fear of poverty.
Do not kill your children for fear of
poverty.
In the old days, people actually used to
kill their children.
Physically used to kill their children.
And that same ruling basically applies nowadays to
the issue of abortion.
If a person feels, and the only reasoning
behind his thinking for his child is the
issue of poverty, he should not go to
the abortion.
There are other reasons, medical reasons and so
on that allow for the abortion to take
place.
But if the only reason is that a
person is afraid that he will not be
able to provide for his child, then this
is not a reason.
A person will remember that every single child
comes with the risk and the sustenance written
for him or her.
And you will find, probably people who are
fathers here, you will find that when they
had children, Allah SWT opened doors from different
directions that became the means of the child's
risk and the sustenance that we weren't even
aware of.
They were going to be open after the
child is born.
So Allah SWT tells us, وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ
خَشْيَةً إِمْلَاكٌ Do not kill your children for
fear of poverty.
نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ We provide for them and
especially you.
So Allah is pointing to us and telling
us that look at yourself first.
You've been raised, you have been provided for,
you have food, you have money, you have
a house over your head, you have clothing.
Didn't Allah SWT provide for you?
So you don't think Allah can provide for
one more person who is in your life?
نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ We provide sustenance for them
and especially for you.
إِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْعًا كَبِيرًا Indeed their killing
is a huge mistake.
Indeed killing them is a huge mistake obviously.
Like I said in those days they used
to actually kill the children.
But even in this day the issue of
abortion, especially after 40 days, late term abortions.
SubhanAllah this is a very controversial thing amongst
the, in the medical field.
How do late term abortions take place?
You should be aware of this.
Because it's a very horrific thing.
How it's done is that the doctor basically
enters a tube or something inside the head
of the baby.
And then the head of the baby is
crushed inside the womb.
This is how the late term abortion takes
place.
And then if that baby was to be
born outside the womb, it would be classified
as murder.
That doctor would be actually arrested for murder.
But because the baby is killed inside the
womb, that's called abortion.
Alright?
This is how late term abortion is.
You can look it up online.
It's a very horrific thing.
And there are many people that are, there
are organizations that are against it.
So even late term or early term, after
40 days the ruh is actually put into,
according to the hadith, the head of the
baby.
So after 40 days, really there's no, there's
no hope, there's no reason for somebody to
take the life of that child.
Before 40 days, some scholars they give the
allowance for it, if there's a need for
it.
But after 40 days, no.
The Prophet ﷺ was asked, Ya Rasulullah, ayyudhan
bi a'adham.
I'll finish with this inshallah.
Which of the sins is the greatest?
Which of the sins is the greatest?
The Prophet ﷺ said, Anta ja'al lillahi
niddan wa huwa khalaqak.
That you make a partner for Allah ﷻ
while He created you.
He's the one who created you, and you
make a partner for Him.
This is the biggest sin.
Then the Sahabi asked, Thumma ayy, which is
the biggest sin after that?
The Prophet ﷺ said, Antaqtula waladaka khashyata an
yata'ma an yuta'ma maak.
That you kill your child for fear that
he's going to eat with you.
You kill your child for fear that he's
going to eat with you.
This is the next greatest sin.
And then the Sahabi said, Which is the
next sin after that?
The Prophet ﷺ said, Antazniya bi halila tijarik.
That you commit zina with your neighbor.
This is one of the Ten Commandments, right?
That you not, that thou shall not covet
thy neighbor's wife.
Okay?
So this is what the Prophet ﷺ said.
That to commit zina with your neighbor's wife,
the neighbor who has so many rights upon
you, instead of fulfilling his rights, you are
basically, you know, taking advantage in a very,
very bad way by committing zina with his
wife.
Or even the zina of the eyes.
This is also a form of zina.
Looking in an incorrect way.
This is also a form of zina.
And again, that would be included in that.
With that, we're finished inshallah.
I pray that Allah gives us tawfiq to
understand and practice what has been said and
heard.
Yeah, in order of priority.
But sometimes the priority, it changes also.
But this is the general trend.
You give priority to your relatives first, and
then the poor people and the wayfarers.
And there's another ayah in Surat al-Tawbah,
which talks about the recipients of zakat.
There's eight forms of recipients.
And the scholars say that those eight forms
of recipients are actually in order.
So according to the order given, they should
be given priority.