Tafsir of Al-Hadeed 57:11

"Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan?" (57:11). This is an eloquent solicitation from Allah, the Exalted, to spend in His cause, serving as a confirmation of the preceding command and a rebuke for neglecting it. The interrogative is not literal; rather, it is for the purpose of urging. A "goodly loan" is spending with sincerity, while seeking out the most honorable wealth and the most excellent avenues for it.

Some have stated that a "goodly loan" combines ten qualities: that it be from lawful (halal) sources, for Allah is Pure and accepts only what is pure; that it be from the most honorable of what a person possesses; that the person be in good health and stingy, hoping for life and fearing poverty; that they place it with the most needy and deserving; that they keep it secret; that they do not follow it with reproach or injury; that they intend by it only the Countenance of Allah; that they consider what they give as insignificant, even if it is substantial; that it be from their most beloved wealth; and that they seek in delivering it to the poor the swiftest means, such as carrying it to their home. It is not hidden that these conditions could be increased or decreased.

Regardless, the expression is either a metaphor in the verb—making it a consequential explicit metaphor—or a metaphor in the totality of the sentence, making it a representative metaphor, which is more eloquent. It means: "Who is it that spends their wealth in the cause of Allah, sincerely, while seeking out the most honorable of it and the most excellent of avenues, in the hope that He, Glory be to Him, will compensate them for it, just as one who lends to another?"

"He will multiply it for him" (57:11). He will grant him his reward for the spending, multiplied many times over out of His bounty.

"And for him is a noble reward" (57:11). That is, this reward, to which the multiplication is added, is noble—pleasing in itself and worthy of being competed for by those who compete. This contains an indication that the reward is not only increased in quantity but also superlative in quality. The sentence is a circumstantial clause (hal), not a conjunction to "He will multiply it." Others permitted the conjunction, and a distinction remains between the multiplication and the reward itself, for the multiplications are purely from His bounty, while the equivalent (the principle) is the reward.

The verb "he will multiply it" (yuda‘ifahu) is in the accusative case (nasb) following the interrogative in terms of meaning. It is as if it were said: "Does anyone loan Allah, so that He may multiply it for him?" Although the object of the question in terms of the literal wording is the agent, in meaning, it is the action itself. The intent is not that the action has already occurred and the question is to identify the agent, as in your saying "Who came to you today?" when you know someone came but do not know specifically who. Rather, it is phrased in this style to exaggerate the solicitation, as if the action—due to the abundance of its motives—has already occurred, and one is merely asking about the agent in order to reward them.

The literal appearance was not considered, because it is required—without disagreement—for the accusative case after the fa (in "so that He may multiply") that the preceding part does not imply the occurrence of the action, such as "Why did you hit Zayd, so that he may reward you?" For in that case, it does not imply a future consequence. Based on this, all instances of the accusative are interpreted where the preceding part implies occurrence.

Several scholars read "fayuda‘ifuhu" (He will multiply it) in the nominative case (raf‘) based on the standard rule, observing the literal wording which implies occurrence. It is either a conjunction to "yulrid" (he loans) or to "fahuwa yuda‘ifuhu" (so He will multiply it). It has also been recited as "fayud‘ifuhu" (in the nominative and accusative).