Tafsir of Al-Furqan 25:67

"And those who, when they spend, do not commit excess (meaning they do not transgress the limit of generosity), nor do they stingily withhold (meaning they do not constrict as a miser does). Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli said: Excess is spending on acts of disobedience, and stinginess is withholding from acts of obedience. Similar reports were narrated from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and Ibn Zayd. 'Awn ibn Abd Allah ibn 'Utbah said: Excess is when you spend someone else’s wealth.

Al-Hasan, Talhah, al-A'mash, Hamzah, al-Kisa'i, and 'Asim read yaqturu with a fathah on the ya and a dammah on the ta. Mujahid, Ibn Kathir, and Abu 'Amr read it with a fathah on the ya and a kasrah on the ta. Nafi' and Ibn 'Amir read it with a dammah on the ya and a kasrah on the ta. Al-'Ala' ibn Subabah and al-Yazidi read it with a dammah on the ya, a fathah on the qaf, and a kasrah on the ta (with a shaddah). All of these are linguistic variations for restriction/tightness. Abu Hatim rejected the form aqtara (as a quadriliteral verb) here, saying: 'It is only said aqtara,' citing the verse: 'And upon the one who is restricted (al-muqtir), let him spend according to his capability.' He was unaware of what al-Asma'i and others related regarding aqtara in the sense of 'to constrict.'

And their spending is between that (the aforementioned excess and stinginess) justly—that is, a middle course and justice. It is called qawaman because of the straightness and balance of the two extremes, as if each one stands up to (resists/balances) the other, just as it is called sawa'an (equality/straightness) because of their being level. Hassan read qawaman with a kasrah on the qaf; it is said these are two linguistic variants with the same meaning. It is also said that with the kasrah, it means 'that which sustains a need,' neither exceeding it nor falling short.

This is a second predicate for kana, reinforcing the first, which is 'between that.' Or, it is the predicate, and 'between that' is either a functioning adverb for kana according to those who hold that the incomplete kana acts upon the adverb, or it is a state (hal) of qawaman—for if it were placed later, it would be an adjective. It is also possible that it is an adverbial appendage related to it. Or, 'between that' is the predicate, and qawaman is a reinforcing state. Al-Farra' permitted 'between that' to be the subject of kana, where 'between' is indeclinable due to its annexation to an indeclinable word, as in the Almighty's saying, 'And for the terror of that day' (where some read the mim with a fathah). An example of this is the poet's saying: 'The singing of a dove in the branches of an oak did not prevent the drinking from it.'

Al-Zamakhshari refuted this, saying that while the syntax is acceptable, the meaning is not, because 'between excess and stinginess' is necessarily a middle course; thus, the predicate (which is the basis of the benefit) provides no new information. The essence of this is that the speech becomes like saying 'the one who is leaving is the owner of the slave girl,' which is useless. It is not hidden that this objection does not apply to the reading of qiwaman (with kasrah) according to the second view regarding it. As for other readings, it is valid.

What has been said—that this is like the expression 'my poet, my poet'—is unacceptable because that applies where the wording is unified, and our case is not so. Likewise, the argument that 'between that' is more general than qawaman (meaning justice) in the sense that both extremes are equidistant to it—[is weak], for what is between stinginess and excess is not necessarily qawaman in this sense, as it could be slightly less than excess and slightly more than stinginess. This is also forced, for 'what is between them' encompasses the precise middle and everything else, without distinction. Such language is not used in normal discourse because it is enigmatic. It is said: even if one concedes the validity of predicating a specific term upon a general one, it is unlikely they were praised for observing the precise middle, given the hardship that was negated from Islam. The response to this is: there is no doubt in the validity of predicating the specific upon the general, such as 'The one who came to me is Zayd.' The speaker did not intend the absolute, precise middle, but rather the approximate, as indicated by his saying 'slightly.' There is no hardship in such a thing; reflect upon this.

Perhaps predicating their spending with what has been mentioned, after the Almighty's saying 'When they spend, they do not commit excess and do not stingily withhold,' which necessitates that their spending is indeed as described, is to affirm that their action is among the best of affairs, for it is common that 'the best of affairs are their middle paths.' It is apparent that 'spending' includes both spending on oneself and on others, and moderation in all of that is best. Ahmad and al-Tabarani narrated from Abu al-Darda' from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): 'It is from a man’s discernment to be moderate in his livelihood.' Ibn Majah narrated in his Sunan from Anas, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: 'Indeed, it is of excess that you eat whatever you desire.'

It is related that 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan said to 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) when he married him to his daughter, Fatima: 'What is your spending?' 'Umar replied: 'Goodness between two evils,' and then he recited the verse. Poets have praised moderation in affairs and economy in livelihood, both ancient and modern. Among this is the saying: 'Do not be extreme in any affair, but be moderate; both extremes of affairs are blameworthy.' And the saying of Hatim: 'If you give your belly its desire, and your private parts, they will reach the height of blame combined.' And the saying of another: 'If a man gives his soul everything it desires, and does not restrain it, it will yearn for every falsehood and drive him to sin and shame through the sweetness of what it calls him to'—and other such things."