Tafsir of Al-Mu'minoon 23:72

"Or do you ask them" is connected to His statement, "Or do they say, 'He has madness?'" It is a transition to another rebuke and a change in address, suitable for what follows it. The intent is: Do they claim that you ask them for a "payment" (kharjan)—meaning a wage—for conveying the Message, and for that reason, they do not believe in you?

His statement, "But the provision of your Lord is better," meaning His sustenance in this world and His reward in the Hereafter, is an explanation for the negation of the asking, which is understood from the [rhetorical] denial. That is: Do not ask them for that, for what Allah the Exalted has provided you in this world and the Hereafter is better than that, due to its vastness, its permanence, and the fact that it does not involve bearing the obligation of men. In mentioning the title of Lordship while attributing it to His pronoun—peace and blessings be upon him—there is a subtle nuance regarding the justification of the ruling and the honor of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

"Kharj" is the counterpart to "dakhl" (income); it is used for everything you give out to another. "Kharaj" is predominantly used for land tax, so it conveys a sense of abundance and obligation, making it more emphatic; for this reason, it is used to describe the gift of Allah the Exalted. This also applies according to the view that "kharj" is what you offer voluntarily, while "kharaj" is what is mandatory; the obligation here, regarding Him the Exalted, is only due to the bounty of His promise. It has been said that "kharj" is more general than "kharaj," while others consider them equal.

Ibn Amir read it as "kharajan... fa-kharaj," while Hamza and al-Kisa’i read it as "kharajan... fa-kharaj" for the sake of parallelism. Al-Hasan and Isa read it as "kharajan... fa-kharaj." It seems that the choice of "kharajan" for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is to signal the strength of their persistence in disbelief, while the choice of "kharaj" for Allah the Exalted is to emphasize the belittlement of their "kharaj," as the meaning is that a small amount from Him, the Exalted, is better than a great amount from them—so what, then, is to be thought of His great amount?

"And He is the Best of providers" is an affirmation of the superiority of His provision, may He be exalted; for whoever is the Best of providers, His provision must be better than the provision of others. Al-Jubba’i used this as evidence that no one equals Him, the Exalted, in bestowing favors upon His servants, and that servants may indeed provide for one another.