At-Taghabun: 16

Ayah

Word by Word

فَٱتَّقُواْ

So fear

ٱللَّهَ

Allah

مَا

as much as

ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ

you are able

وَٱسۡمَعُواْ

and listen

وَأَطِيعُواْ

and obey

وَأَنفِقُواْ

and spend;

خَيۡرٗا

(it is) better

لِّأَنفُسِكُمۡۗ

for your souls

وَمَن

And whoever

يُوقَ

is saved

شُحَّ

(from the) greediness

نَفۡسِهِۦ

(of) his soul

فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ

then those

هُمُ

[they]

ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

(are) the successful ones

Translation

So fear Allah as much as ye can; listen and obey and spend in charity for the benefit of your own soul and those saved from the covetousness of their own souls,- they are the ones that achieve prosperity.

Tafsir

Warning against the Fitnah of Spouses and Offspring

Allah warns,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا إِنَّ مِنۡ أَزۡوَاجِكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَاادِكُمۡ عَدُوًّا لَّكُمۡ فَاحۡذَرُوهُمۡ

O you who believe!

Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you; therefore beware of them!

Allah states that some wives and children are enemies to their husbands and fathers, in that they might be busied with them rather than with performing the good deeds.

Allah said in another Ayah,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواۡ لاأَ تُلۡهِكُمۡ أَمۡوَلُكُمۡ وَلاأَ أَوۡلَـدُكُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ اللَّهِ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَلِكَ فَأُوۡلَـيِكَ هُمُ الۡخَـسِرُونَ

O you who believe!

Let not your properties or you children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that then they are the losers. (63:9)

Allah the Exalted said here,

فَاحۡذَرُوهُمۡ

therefore, beware of them! (for your religion, according to Ibn Zayd).

Mujahid explained the Ayah,

إِنَّ مِنۡ أَزۡوَاجِكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَادِكُمۡ عَدُوًّا لَّكُمۡ

(Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you); by saying,

They might direct the man to sever his relation or disobey his Lord. The man, who loves his wives and children, might obey them in this case.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas said to a man who asked him about this Ayah,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا إِنَّ مِنۡ أَزۡوَاجِكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَاادِكُمۡ عَدُوًّا لَّكُمۡ فَاحۡذَرُوهُمۡ

(O you who believe! Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you; therefore beware of them!)

There were men who embraced Islam in Makkah and wanted to migrate to Allah's Messenger. However, their wives and children refused to allow them. Later when they joined Allah's Messenger, they found that those who were with him (the Companions) have gained knowledge in the religion, so they were about to punish their wives and children. Allah the Exalted sent down this Ayah,

وَإِن تَعۡفُوا وَتَصۡفَحُوا وَتَغۡفِرُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

But if you pardon (them) and overlook, and forgive, then verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith and said that it is Hasan Sahih.

Allah's statement,

إِنَّمَا أَمۡوَالُكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَادُكُمۡ فِتۡنَةٌ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ أَجۡرٌ عَظِيمٌ

Your wealth and your children are only a Fintah, whereas Allah! With Him is a great reward.

Allah said that the wealth and children are a test and trial from Allah the Exalted for His creatures, so that He knows those who obey Him and those who disobey Him.

Allah's statement,

وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ

(whereas Allah! With Him),

meaning, on the Day of Resurrection,

أَجۡرٌ عَظِيمٌ

(is a great reward).

As Allah said;

زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَتِ مِنَ النِّسَأءِ وَالۡبَنِينَ وَالۡقَنَـطِيرِ الۡمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالۡفِضَّةِ وَالۡخَيۡلِ الۡمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالَانۡعَـمِ وَالۡحَرۡثِ ذَلِكَ مَتَـعُ الۡحَيَوةِ الدُّنۡيَا وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسۡنُ الۡمَأَبِ

Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women children, Qanatir Al-Muqantarah of gold and silver, branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return with him. (3:14), and the Ayah after it.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Buraydah said,

The Messenger of Allah was giving a speech and Al-Hasan and Husayn came in wearing red shirts, walking and tripping. The Messenger descended from the Minbar, held them and placed them in front of them and said,

صَدَقَ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

إِنَّمَا أَمۡوَالُكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَادُكُمۡ فِتۡنَةٌ

نَظَرۡتُ إِلَى هَذَيۡنِ الصَّبِيَّيۡنِ يَمۡشِيَانِ وَيَعۡثُرَانِ فَلَمۡ أَصۡبِرۡ حَتۡى قَطَعۡتُ حَدِيثِي وَرَفَعۡتُهُمَا

Allah and His Messenger said the truth,

`Verily, your wealth and your children are a Fitnah.'

I ﷺ these two boys walking and tripping and could not be patient until I stopped my speech and picked them up.

This was recorded by the Sunan compilers, and At-Tirmidhi said, Hasan Gharib.

The Order for Taqwa, as much as One is Capable

Allah said

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ

So have Taqwa of Allah as much as you can;

meaning, as much as you are able and can bear or endure.

The Two Sahihs recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِذَا أَمَرۡتُكُمۡ بِأَمۡرٍ فَايۡتُوا مِنۡهُ مَا اسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ وَمَا نَهَيۡتُكُمۡ عَنۡهُ فَاجۡتَنِبُوه

When I command you to do something, do as much as you can of it, and whatever I forbid for you, then avoid it.

Allah's statement,

وَاسۡمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا

listen and obey,

means, obey what Allah and His Messenger command you to do and do not stray from it to the right or left. Do not utter a statement or make a decision before Allah and His Messenger issue a statement or decision. Do not ignore what you were ordered to do, nor commit what you were forbidden from doing.

Encouraging Charity

Allah the Exalted said,

وَأَنفِقُوا خَيۡرًا لاَِّنفُسِكُمۡ

and spend in charity; that is better for yourselves.

meaning, give from what Allah has granted you to your relatives, the poor, the needy and the weak. Be kind to Allah's creatures, just as Allah was and still is kind with you. This will be better for you in this life and the Hereafter. Otherwise, if you do not do it, it will be worse for you in this life and the Hereafter.

Allah said;

وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفۡسِهِ فَأُوۡلَيِكَ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

And whosoever is saved from his own greed, then they are the successful ones.

This was explained with a similar Ayah in Surah Al-Hashr, where we also mentioned the relevant Hadiths. Therefore, we do not need to repeat them here, all praise and gratitude is due to Allah.

Allah the Exalted said

إِن تُقۡرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعِفۡهُ لَكُمۡ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ

If you lend to Allah a handsome loan, He will double it for you, and will forgive you.

meaning, whatever you spend, then Allah will replace it, and on Him will be the reward of whatever you give away in charity.

Allah considered giving charity as if it is a loan to Him, just as Allah said in a Qudsi Hadith,

مَنۡ يُقۡرِضُ غَيۡرَ ظَلُومٍ وَلَا عَدِيم

Who will give a loan to He Who is neither unjust nor poor

This is why Allah the Exalted said in Surah Al-Baqarah,

فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضۡعَافًا كَثِيرَةً

So that He may multiply it to him many times. (2:245)

Allah said;

وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ

and will forgive you.

meaning, He will erase your mistakes,

وَاللَّهُ شَكُورٌ

And Allah is Shakur,

meaning, He gives abundantly in return for what was little,

حَلِيمٌ

Halim,

means, He forgives, pardons, covers and absolves the sins, mistakes, errors and shortcomings,

عَالِمُ الۡغَيۡبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ الۡعَزِيزُ الۡحَكِيمُ

All-Knower of the unseen and seen, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

Its explanation has already preceded several times.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah At-Taghabun, all the praise and appreciation is due to Allah.