Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:245

{Min} is an interrogative pronoun, in the nominative case as an initial (mubtada’), and {dha} is its predicate. {Alladhi} is an adjective for it or a substitute for it. It is not permissible for {min dha} to be treated as a single noun, like the word {madha}, as Abu al-Baqa’ asserted, because {ma} is more ambiguous than {man}.

"Lending to Allah" is a metaphor for offering urgent deeds in pursuit of delayed rewards. The intended meaning here is either Jihad—which involves the sacrifice of life and wealth—or absolute righteous action, in which the former is included primarily. Under either interpretation, it is clear how the sentence connects to what precedes it.

{Qardan} is either an infinitive (masdar) meaning "a lending," thus it is in the accusative case as an infinitive, or it acts as the object (maf’ul), thus it is in the accusative case as an object. His saying, "The Exalted," {hasanan} is an adjective for it in both interpretations. The nature of "goodness" in the first case is sincerity, for example, and in the second, it is lawfulness and purity. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that the "good loan" is striving (mujahada) and spending in the cause of Allah. By this, the structure is perfectly harmonized.

{fayuda’ifuhu} means "He will multiply [the loan] for him." Making them the subject of multiplication is metaphorical, as it is the cause of the multiplication. It is also permissible to consider an implicit annexed noun (mudaf), meaning "He will multiply its reward." The "mufa'ala" form is not used in its literal sense, as there is no reciprocity; rather, it was chosen for the sake of hyperbole, indicating the intensity of the increase.

'Asim recited it in the accusative case, which admits two interpretations: First, that it is linked to the infinitive {yuqrid} in meaning, i.e., "Who is there who will perform a loan—so that [there will be] a multiplication from Allah?" Second, that it is a response to an implied question in meaning; for even if the one asked about in the wording is the lender, the meaning is the act of lending. It is as if it were said: "Does anyone lend to Allah? Then [if so], He will multiply it for him." This is what Abu al-Baqa’ chose. He did not permit it to be a response to the question in wording, because the one questioned therein is the lender, not the loan; nor did he permit it to be linked to the infinitive {qardan}—as a verb is linked to an infinitive by implying an (the particle)—for two reasons: First, because {qardan} here is an emphatic infinitive, which cannot be represented by an and the verb. Second, that linking it to it would necessitate it being an object of {yuqrid}, which is incorrect, because the multiplication is not what is being loaned; rather, it is an action from Allah. However, there is room for reflection on this.

Ibn Kathir recited {yuda’ifuhu} in the nominative case with a shadda, while Ya’qub and Ibn ‘Amir recited it in the accusative. {Ad’afan} is the plural of {di’f}, which is the equivalent of something in amount when added to it; thus, it is not an infinitive (the infinitive is id’af or muda’afa). Accordingly, it is permissible for it to be a circumstantial qualifier (hal) of the pronoun "hu" in {yuda’ifuhu}, or a second object based on the meaning that "multiplication" implies the meaning of "rendering." It is also permitted to consider it as occupying the place of an infinitive, thus being in the accusative as an infinitive. It is pluralized—even though infinitives are not usually dualized or pluralized—because they are assigned to the reality [of the concept] as it is, to denote different types; the intent behind it is still the reality, but it is intended as it exists within its various types.

{Kathiratan} means its magnitude is known to none but Allah. Imam Ahmad, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Abu 'Uthman al-Nahdi that he said: "It reached me from Abu Hurayra that he said: 'Allah writes for His believing servant for one good deed, a thousand-thousand good deeds.' I performed Hajj that year, and I did not wish to perform Hajj except to meet him regarding this hadith. I met Abu Hurayra and asked him about it. He said: 'That is not it.' I asked: 'Was it not preserved, that which was narrated to you?' He said: 'Rather, I said: Allah grants the believing servant for one good deed, two thousand-thousand good deeds.' Then Abu Hurayra said: 'Do you not find this in the Book of Allah: "Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over?" For the "many" with Him is more than two thousand-thousand and two thousand-thousand. By Him in Whose hand is my soul, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) say: Allah multiplies the good deed two thousand-thousand good deeds.'"

{Wa-Allahu yaqbidu wa-yabsutu} means: He restricts [provision] for some and expands it for others, or He restricts at one time and expands at another, according to the requirements of the Wisdom whose secret is subtle and whose magnitude is majestic. Once you know that He is the Restrictor and the Expander, and that what you possess is only from His expansion and giving, do not be miserly toward Him. Loan to Him and spend from what He has expanded for you, in place of His expansion and giving. Do not do the opposite by being stingy—in place of that—lest He treat you as you treated Him, by restricting and tightening [provision] upon you after He had expanded it for you and empowered you to spend.

According to Qatada, al-Asam, and al-Zajjaj, the meaning is: He takes up (restricts) the charities and spreads (expands) the reward for them; thus, the speech acts as a confirmation and reinforcement for what preceded it. The reason for delaying "expansion" after "restriction" is clear. The reason for delaying it in the first interpretation is to gesture toward the fact that existence follows restriction, as a consolation to the poor.

{Wa-ilayhi turja’un} means: He will recompense you according to what you have sent ahead.

From the Chapter of Ishara (Signs/Allusions): The prayers are five: The prayer of the secret is through witnessing the station of the Unseen; the prayer of the soul is through its extinguishing from the provocations of doubt; the prayer of the heart is through its observation of the lights of unveiling; the prayer of the spirit is through witnessing the Union; and the prayer of the body is through guarding the senses and establishing the boundaries. The meaning is: Guard these five prayers, and the middle prayer—which is the prayer of the heart—whose condition is purity from leaning toward anything other than Him, and whose reality is turning toward the Lord. This is why it is invalidated by passing thoughts and deviation from the Ka'ba of the Essence.

{Wa-qumu lillahi qanitin} means: Standing by turning toward Him, obedient to Him, outwardly and inwardly, by repelling passing thoughts. {Fa-in khiftum}—the shocks of Majesty while traveling toward Allah—pray while walking in the wilderness of the journey, proceeding on the feet of truthfulness, or riding the mounts of resolve. Let not fear deter you from that. {Fa-idha amintum}—after returning from that journey to the original homeland by the unveiling of the veil—{fadhkuru Allah} means: pray to Him with your entirety until you are annihilated in Him. Or, if you are secure by returning to "Subsistence" (baqa') after "Annihilation" (fana'), then remember Allah, for the distinction (farq) occurs after the gathering (jam') at that time. Before that, there is no remembrance, for there is no distinction or differentiation.

It was said to the madman: "Do you love Layla?" He replied: "Who is Layla? I am Layla." Someone else said: "I am he whom I love, and he whom I love is I; we are two spirits that inhabited one body. If you see me, you see him; and if you see him, you see us both."

{Alam tara} to those {kharaju min diarihim}—their familiar homelands, the accustomed resting places of their souls, their stations, and their ranks in the world, without leaning toward them due to the dictates of caprice. They were many thousands of people—or people who loved one another and were united in Allah—fearing the death of ignorance, disconnection from true life, and falling into the natural depths. {Faqala lahumu Allahu mutu} means: He commanded them to have "voluntary death," or He caused them to die unto their own selves through the Essential Manifestation until they were annihilated in Him. Then, He revived them with true, intellectual life, or with Essential Existence and subsistence after annihilation. Indeed, Allah is possessor of bounty toward all people by preparing the means for their guidance, {walakinna akthara al-nasi la yashkurun}—due to their excessive heedlessness regarding what is intended for them.

{Waqatilu fi sabilillahi}—the self and the devil—{wa’lamu anna Allaha sami’un} to the whispered thoughts of the souls of those fighting in His cause, {‘alimun} of what is in their hearts. {Man dhalladhi yuqridu Allaha}—and sacrifices his self to Him, a sacrifice pure from association—{fayuda’ifuhu lahu ad’afan kathiratan} by the appearance of the attributes of His beauty and majesty within him.

{Wa-Allahu yaqbidu} the souls of the monotheists with His omnipotent grasp into the light of Eternity, and {yabsutu} the secrets of the Gnostics from the grasp of Majesty and spreads them in the witnessing of Everlasting praise. It is said: The "grasping" (qabd) is His secret, and "spreading" (bast) is His unveiling. It is also said: The grasping is for the seekers, and the spreading is for the sought-after; or the first is for the longing, and the second is for the Gnostics. It is well-known that grasping and spreading are two states occurring after the servant ascends from the state of fear and hope. Grasping is for the Gnostic as fear is for the seeker of safety. The difference between them is that fear and hope relate to a future matter, whether disliked or loved, while grasping and spreading relate to a matter present at the time, dominating the heart of the Gnostic from a metaphysical occurrence. The first is from the effects of Majesty, and the second is from the effects of Beauty.