Jump to content

Draft:Verse 261 of Sura al-Baqara

Add links
From wikishia
Verse 261 of Sura al-Baqara
Verse's Information
SuraSura al-Baqara (Qur'an 2)
Verse261
Juz'3
Content Information
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicThe virtue of spending in the way of Allah
Related VersesQur'an 2:261, Qur'an 2:245, Qur'an 4:40, Qur'an 8:60, Qur'an 57:11, and Qur'an 57:18


Qur'an 2:261 is the inaugural Verse in a sequence discussing Infaq (spending in the way of Allah).[1] According to certain exegetes, its placement following the verses on the Resurrection underscores that spending constitutes a means of salvation on the Day of Judgment.[2]

In Qur'an 2:261, the metaphor of the grain applies not merely to the act of spending but to the spender himself.[3] Exegetes elucidate this point by noting that an individual's actions are reflective of their character and existence; consequently, as their actions expand, the individual simultaneously experiences growth and perfection.[4]

Exegetes further observe that the use of the present continuous verb yunfiqūn ("they spend") indicates the habitual and sustained generosity of the godly.[5] The term wāsiʿ ("All-Encompassing") at the verse's conclusion signifies God's boundless reward for the spender.[6] Additionally, the phrase "in the way of Allah" is interpreted broadly to encompass all virtuous deeds, with its preeminent manifestation being Jihad.[7]

A narration from Mufaddal b. Muhammad al-Ju'fi, attributed to Imam al-Sadiq (a), interprets the "grain" in Qur'an 2:261 as a reference to Lady Fatima (a), and the "seven ears" as seven of her descendants, beginning with Imam al-Husayn (a) and concluding with Imam al-Mahdi (a).[8] Some scholars regard this narration as reflective of the exaggerations associated with extremist sects within Shi'a Islam,[9] and Sayyid Abu l-Qasim al-Khoei rejected it due to weaknesses in the chain of transmission, specifically the obscure status of Mufaddal b. Muhammad al-Ju'fi.[10] Content-related critiques have also been raised, citing discrepancies regarding the number of Imams and the role of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a).[11] Conversely, proponents argue that this narration does not aim to enumerate the total number of Imams but rather identifies specific Imams as "ears" based on their distinct characteristics,[12] or that the number seven functions here as a symbol of multiplicity rather than a literal count.[13]

Abdullah Jawadi Amuli asserts that the primary reward for spending is spiritual and pertains to the hereafter, rather than being material or worldly, as charitable acts do not invariably result in increased wealth in this life.[14] Nonetheless, he acknowledges that spending yields worldly benefits, including the enjoyment of security under the Islamic system, the promotion of social welfare, and the encouragement of others to give; in some instances, material gain may also accrue to the spender.[15]

Notes

  1. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 2, p. 312.
  2. ↑ Andalusī, al-Baḥr al-muḥīṭ, 1420 AH, vol. 2, p. 315; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 2, p. 312.
  3. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 2, p. 314.
  4. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 2, p. 314.
  5. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1378 Sh, vol. 12, p. 317.
  6. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1378 Sh, vol. 12, p. 319.
  7. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1378 Sh, vol. 12, p. 334.
  8. ↑ ʿAyyāshī, al-Tafsīr, 1380 AH, vol. 1, p. 147.
  9. ↑ Hāshimī, "Aḥādīth-i ghuluww dar Ahl-i Sunnat wa Tashayyuʿ", p. 46.
  10. ↑ Khūʾī, Muʿjam rijāl al-ḥadīth, 1409 AH, vol. 18, p. 307.
  11. ↑ Bar-Asher, Scripture And Exegesis In Early Imami Shiism, 1999, p. 233.
  12. ↑ Pahlawān, "Mustashriqān-i Yahūdī wa tafāsīr-i awwaliyya-yi Imāmiyya", pp. 35-36.
  13. ↑ Baḥrānī, al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1416 AH, vol. 1, p. 542 (footnote).
  14. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1378 Sh, vol. 12, p. 322.
  15. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1378 Sh, vol. 12, p. 322.

References

  • Andalusī, Abū Ḥayyān Muḥammad b. Yūsuf al-. al-Baḥr al-muḥīṭ fī l-tafsīr. Edited by Muḥammad Jamīl Ṣidqī. Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1420 AH.
  • ʿAyyāshī, Muḥammad b. Masʿūd al-. al-Tafsīr. Edited by Hāshim Rasūlī Maḥallātī. Tehran: al-Maṭbaʿat al-ʿIlmiyya, 1380 AH.
  • Baḥrānī, Sayyid Hāshim al-. al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Tehran: Bonyad-i Be'that, 1416 AH.
  • Bar-Asher, Meir. Scripture And Exegesis In Early Imami Shiism. Jerusalem: The Hebrew University, 1999.
  • Hāshimī, Rayḥāna. "Aḥādīth-i ghuluww dar Ahl-i Sunnat wa Tashayyuʿ". Haft Asman, no. 63-64, 1393 Sh.
  • Jawādī Āmulī, ʿAbd Allāh. Tafsīr-i tasnīm. Qom: Nashr-i Isra', 1378 Sh.
  • Khūʾī, Sayyid Abū l-Qāsim al-. Muʿjam rijāl al-ḥadīth. Beirut: Dār al-Zahrāʾ, 1409 AH.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1374 Sh.
  • Pahlawān, Manṣūr. "Mustashriqān-i Yahūdī wa tafāsīr-i awwaliyya-yi Imāmiyya". Safinah, no. 25, 1388 Sh.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn. al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Qom: Maktabat al-Nashr al-Islami, 1417 AH.
  • Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan al-. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Tehran: al-Maktabat al-ʿIlmiyya al-Islamiyya, n.d.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikishia.net/w/index.php?title=Draft:Verse_261_of_Sura_al-Baqara&oldid=203524"