International Shia News Agency
All NewsQuran & EtratShia StudiesWho are the Shia?

Allah’s (SWT) Promise and Satan’s Deception: Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 2:268-269) By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Commentary of the Quran

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 2:268-269)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Allah’s (SWT) Promise and Satan’s Deception

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ‎﴿٢٦٨﴾

2:268 Shaitan threatens you with poverty (when you spend on charity) and orders you to immorality (avarice and abandonment of charity), while Allah (SWT) promises you forgiveness from God’s and bounty. And Allah (SWT) is all-Encompassing and Knowing.

Commentary: Satan instills the misconception that giving alms makes us poor and needy, and avarice brings wealth and worldly possessions. On the contrary, Allah (SWT) has promised that almsgiving will eliminate sin and bring prosperity. So, believers should rely on Allah (SWT), who speaks the truth and keeps His promises, not the threat of the deceitful and powerless Satan who leads man to sin. Let’s take a closer look at the verse:

Satan threatens you with poverty (when you spend on charity) (الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ) and persuades you to immorality (وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ). Al-Fahshai (الْفَحْشَاءِ) means immorality, unchastity, and promiscuity. Here, it implies avarice and abandonment of charity, which in many cases is sin. While Allah (SWT) promises divine forgiveness (يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ) and an increase of wealth through almsgiving (وَفَضْلًا). For instance, Allah (SWT) promises in verse 57:18 (Al-Hadid):

إِنَّ الْمُصَّدِّقِينَ وَالْمُصَّدِّقَاتِ وَأَقْرَضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ ‎﴿١٨﴾‏

57:18 Indeed, the men who practice charity and the women who practice charity and [they who] have loaned Allah a goodly loan – it will be multiplied for them, and they will have a noble reward.

At the end of verse, it states that Allah (SWT) will fulfill God’s promise with God’s vast and infinite mercy, knowledge, and power. So, people should trust in God’s promise, not the threat of the deceitful and powerless Shaitan who leads man to sin.

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 2:269)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

The Blessing of Wisdom

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ ‎﴿٢٦٩﴾‏

2:269 God gives wisdom to whom God’s wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given abundant good. And none will remember except those of understanding.

Commentary: Verse 2: 268 points out that Satan induces the misconception that giving alms makes us poor and needy, and avarice brings wealth and worldly possessions. On the contrary, Allah (SWT) has promised that almsgiving will eliminate sin and bring prosperity. The possessors of wisdom and insight (حکمت) choose the word of Allah (SWT) instead of the false threats of Shaitan. Let’s take a closer look at the verse:

“Allah gives wisdom to whom He wills” (يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَاءُ). The word (حکمت) is translated to wisdom and insight. It is a faculty that Allah (SWT) bestows on people with pure hearts and innocent minds, which enables them to reach the truth through knowledge and intellect. The phrase “to whom God wills” implies that God gives wisdom to those who have earned the merit of receiving wisdom and insight.

The verse equates wisdom with ample good by stating, “whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given abundant good” (وَمَن يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا). At the end of verse, it states, “And none will remember (the divine verses) except those of understanding.” (وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ). It seems that a prerequisite for earning wisdom is the remembrance of the divine teachings. Al-Bab (الْأَلْبَابِ) is the plural of Lob (لُب), meaning kernel, the softer part within a hard shell. It is used in the meaning of intellect. Human intellect to the human head is like a kernel to its cover.

Word-for-Word Translation:

2:268 [الشَّيْطَانُ] The Shaitan [يَعِدُكُمُ] promises you [الْفَقْرَ] the poverty [وَيَأْمُرُكُم] and orders you [بِالْفَحْشَاءِ] to immorality. [وَاللَّهُ] And Allah (SWT) [يَعِدُكُم] promises you [مَّغْفِرَةً] forgiveness [مِّنْهُ] from him [وَفَضْلًا] and bounty. [وَاللَّهُ] And Allah (SWT) [وَاسِعٌ] Encompassing [عَلِيمٌ] All-Knowing.

2:269 [يُؤْتِي] God grants [الْحِكْمَةَ] the wisdom [مَن] to whom [يَشَاءُ] God wills. [وَمَن] And whoever [يُؤْتَ] is granted [الْحِكْمَةَ] the wisdom, [فَقَدْ] then certainly [أُوتِيَ] he is granted [خَيْرًا] good [كَثِيرًا] abundant. [وَمَا] And non [يَذَّكَّرُ] remembers [إِلَّا] except [أُولُو] those [الْأَلْبَابِ] of understanding.

Related posts

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:47) By Mohammad Sobhanie

shafaqna14

Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right (Part 20)

parniani

Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) treaties of right | Article series

asadian

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:45-46)

shafaqna14

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:44)

shafaqna14

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:42-43)

shafaqna14

Leave a Comment