Al-Baqarah: (219) They ask you about wine...

Know that His saying: {They ask you about wine and gambling} does not specify what they asked about. It is possible they asked about its reality and essence, or they asked about the permissibility of benefiting from it, or they asked about the ruling on drinking it (permissibility or prohibition). However, since the Almighty responded by mentioning the prohibition, the specificity of the answer indicates that the question concerned permissibility and prohibition.

In this verse, there are several issues:

Issue 1: The Revelation Concerning Wine

They said: Four verses were revealed concerning wine. In Mecca, the verse {And from the fruits of the palm trees and the grapevines you take intoxicant and good provision} (An-Nahl: 67) was revealed. Muslims used to drink it, and it was lawful for them.

Then, 'Umar, Mu'adh, and a group of Companions said: "O Messenger of Allah, clarify for us the ruling on wine, for it destroys the intellect and seizes wealth." Then the verse {Say: In them is great sin and [some] benefit for people} was revealed. Some people drank it, and others refrained.

Later, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf invited some people, and they drank until they became intoxicated. Some of them stood up to pray and recited: Say, "O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship..." Then the verse {O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated} (An-Nisa': 43) was revealed, and fewer people drank it.

Then a group of Ansar, including Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, gathered. When they became intoxicated, they boasted and recited poetry. Sa'd recited poetry that contained satire against the Ansar. An Ansari man struck him with a camel's jawbone, causing a severe, exposing wound. He complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). 'Umar said: "O Allah, clarify the ruling on wine for us with a clear explanation." Then the verse {Intoxicants, gambling...} until {So will you not desist?} (Al-Ma'idah: 91) was revealed. 'Umar said: "We have desisted, O Lord!"

Al-Qaffal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The wisdom in the prohibition occurring in this sequence is that Allah Almighty knew that the people were accustomed to drinking wine, and their benefit from it was significant. He knew that forbidding them all at once would be difficult for them. Therefore, He employed this gradual approach and gentleness in the prohibition.

Some people say that Allah prohibited wine and gambling with this verse, then the verse {Do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated} was revealed, which necessitated prohibiting the drinking of wine during the time of prayer, because a wine drinker cannot pray unless intoxicated, so prohibiting that implicitly prohibited drinking. Then the verse of Al-Ma'idah was revealed, which was extremely strong in its prohibition.

It is narrated from Al-Rabi' ibn Anas that this verse was revealed after the prohibition of wine.

Issue 2: Defining Khamr (Wine) and Proof of its Prohibition

Know that, in our view, this verse indicates the prohibition of khamr. Therefore, we need to clarify what khamr is, and then clarify that this verse indicates the prohibition of drinking wine.

Imam Ash-Shafi'i said: Every intoxicating drink is khamr. Imam Abu Hanifa said: Khamr specifically refers to the strong juice of grapes that foams up.

Arguments for Ash-Shafi'i's position:

1. Argument 1: Abu Dawud narrated in his Sunan from Al-Sha'bi, from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: The prohibition of wine was revealed when it was made from five things: grapes, dates, wheat, barley, and corn, and khamr is that which clouds the intellect.
   • Proof from this narration (three aspects):
     • 'Umar (RA) informed that wine was prohibited when it was made from wheat and barley, just as it was made from grapes and dates. This indicates they called all of them khamr.
     • He said: The prohibition of wine occurred when it was made from these things, which explicitly indicates that the prohibition of khamr encompasses the prohibition of these five types.
     • 'Umar (RA) included everything that clouds the intellect among drinks. Since 'Umar was knowledgeable in language, his narration that khamr is the name for everything that clouds the intellect implies that the ruling applies to others as well.

2. Argument 2: Abu Dawud narrated from An-Nu'man ibn Bashir (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: (Among grapes is khamr, among dates is khamr, among honey is khamr, among wheat is khamr, and among barley is khamr.)
   • Proof (two aspects):
     • This explicitly states that these things fall under the name khamr, so they fall under the verse indicating the prohibition of khamr.
     • The Legislator's purpose is not to teach languages; therefore, His intent must be to establish that the ruling fixed for khamr is also fixed for these, or that the ruling commonly associated with khamr—the prohibition of drinking—is established for these drinks.
   • Al-Khattabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Specifying these five things is not because khamr can only be made from them, but because they were commonly known at that time. Everything similar to them, whether from corn or salat (a type of barley) or tree sap, has the same ruling, just as mentioning six specific items in the riba (usury) narration does not prevent the ruling of riba from applying to others.

3. Argument 3: Abu Dawud also narrated from Nafi', from Ibn 'Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: (Every intoxicant is khamr, and every intoxicant is forbidden.)
   • Al-Khattabi said: His saying (PBUH) (Every intoxicant is khamr) indicates two things:
     • That khamr is the name for every drink from which intoxication results. The purpose is that since the verse indicated the prohibition of khamr, and the meaning of khamr was unknown to the people, it was good for the Legislator to clarify that Allah's intent by that word is either its linguistic meaning or a newly established legal term, as with Salah (prayer) and Sawm (fasting).
     • Alternatively, it means it is like khamr in prohibition. If one says, "This is khamr," the literal meaning implies it is khamr. If evidence proves this impossible, it must be interpreted metaphorically as similarity in ruling, which is the specific characteristic of that thing.

4. Argument 4: Abu Dawud narrated from 'A'ishah (RA) that she said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was asked about al-Bati' (a drink made from honey), and he said: (Every drink that intoxicates is forbidden.)
   • Al-Khattabi said: Al-Bati' is a drink made from honey. This invalidates every interpretation used by those who permit fermented drinks (anbidhah), and it refutes the view that a small amount of intoxicant is permissible. This is because he was asked about one type of fermented drink and answered by prohibiting the entire category, which includes small and large amounts. If there were a distinction in types or quantities, he would have mentioned it and not omitted it.

5. Argument 5: Abu Dawud narrated from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: (That which intoxicates in large amounts, its small amount is forbidden.)

6. Argument 6: Abu Dawud also narrated from Al-Qasim, from 'A'ishah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: (Every intoxicant is forbidden, and whatever intoxicates a Farq, then a handful of it is forbidden.)
   • Al-Khattabi said: The Farq is a measure holding sixteen ratls. This is the clearest explanation that the prohibition covers all parts of the drink.

7. Argument 7: Abu Dawud narrated from Shahar ibn Hawshab, from Umm Salamah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) forbade every intoxicant and Muftir.
   • Al-Khattabi said: Al-Muftir is every drink that causes weakness and numbness in the limbs. This undoubtedly covers all types of drinks. All these Hadith indicate that every intoxicant is khamr and is forbidden.

Linguists state that the root of this word (khamr) is covering/veiling. A head covering (khimar) is called such because it covers a woman's head. Khamr is what covers you from trees or otherwise, like a depression or a hill. You say khammarta ra's al-ina', meaning you covered the top of the vessel. Al-Khamir is one who conceals his testimony.

Ibn Al-Anbari said: It is called khamr because it yukhamiru al-'aql (mixes with/clouds the intellect). It is said: Khāmarahu ad-dā'u (the illness mixed with him). He cited the poet Kuthayyir:

May it be pleasant and easy, not a mixing illness,

And it is said: Khamara as-siqāmu kabidahu (the sickness permeated his liver). This returns to the first meaning, because when something mixes with something else, it becomes like a veil over it. These derivations indicate that khamr is what veils the intellect, just as it is called muskir (intoxicant) because it tusikiru al-'aql (restrains the intellect). It is as if it was named by the verbal noun from khamarahu (he veiled it) for emphasis. The summary is that khamr is intoxication, because intoxication covers the intellect and prevents its light from reaching the limbs.

These derivations are among the strongest proofs that the meaning of khamr is the intoxicant. This is even stronger when combined with the numerous Hadith.

One might object: This is establishing a linguistic meaning by analogy (qiyas), which is impermissible. Response: This is not establishing language by analogy, but rather determining the meaning through these derivations, just as the companions of Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on them) say that the meaning of nikah (marriage) is intercourse and they establish it through derivations, and the meaning of sawm (fasting) is abstinence, which they establish through derivations.

The Ummah agrees that there are three verses concerning khamr. Two use the word khamr: this verse and the verse in Al-Ma'idah. The third refers to intoxication: {Do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated} (An-Nisa': 43). This indicates that what is meant by khamr is the intoxicant.

The reason for prohibiting wine was that 'Umar and Mu'adh said: "O Messenger of Allah, wine causes the loss of intellect and seizure of wealth, so clarify it for us." They sought a ruling from Allah and His Messenger specifically because wine causes the loss of intellect. Therefore, everything equal to wine in this characteristic must either be khamr itself or share the same ruling.

The Almighty stated the reason for prohibiting wine: {Intoxicants and gambling... Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through wine and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer} (Al-Ma'idah: 91). There is no doubt that these actions are caused by intoxication. This causal link is certain. Therefore, this verse is explicit that the prohibition of wine is due to its intoxicating nature. Thus, we must conclude that every intoxicant is khamr, or at least that the ruling applies to every intoxicant. Anyone who is fair and abandons stubbornness knows that these points clearly establish the desired conclusion.

Arguments for Abu Hanifa's position:

1. Argument 1: The Almighty said: {And from the fruits of the palm trees and the grapevines you take intoxicant (sukr) and good provision} (An-Nahl: 67). Allah favored us by allowing us to take sukr and good provision. What we are discussing is sukr and good provision, so it must be permissible because a favor is only bestowed through what is permissible.

2. Argument 2: Ibn 'Abbas narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) came to the water trough during the Farewell Pilgrimage, leaned on it, and said: "Give me a drink." Al-'Abbas said: "Shall I not give you what we steep in our homes?" He replied: "What you give to the people." Al-'Abbas brought him a cup of nabidh (a drink made by steeping fruit). The Prophet (PBUH) smelled it, frowned, and returned it. Al-'Abbas said: "O Messenger of Allah, you have spoiled the drink of the people of Mecca for me!" He said: "Return the cup to him." They returned it. He then called for water from Zamzam, poured it over it, drank it, and said: "When these drinks become strong upon you, cut them short with water."
   • Proof: Frowning only occurs due to something strong. Secondly, mixing it with water was explicitly to cut short its strength. Thirdly, ightilam (becoming strong/intoxicating) of the drink is like the sukr (intoxication) of a camel.

3. Argument 3: Relying on narrations from the Companions.

Rebuttal to Abu Hanifa's Arguments:

• Rebuttal to Argument 1: His saying {you take intoxicant (sukr) and good provision} uses an indefinite noun in affirmation, so why do you claim that this sukr and good provision is this nabidh? Furthermore, the commentators agree that this verse was revealed before the three verses indicating the prohibition of wine, so these three verses are either abrogating or specifying it.
• Rebuttal to Argument 2: Perhaps that nabidh was water in which dates were steeped to remove saltiness, slightly changing the water's taste toward sourness. The Prophet's (PBUH) disposition was extremely refined, so his noble disposition could not tolerate that taste, which is why he frowned. Also, pouring water into it meant removing that impurity of sourness or smell. In summary, any rational person knows that turning away from the clear proofs we mentioned based on this weak line of reasoning is not permissible.
• Rebuttal to Argument 3: The narrations from the Companions are conflicting and contradictory, so they must be abandoned in favor of the apparent meaning of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). This concludes the discussion on the reality of khamr.

This is shown in several ways:

1. The verse indicates that wine contains sin (ithm). Sin is forbidden due to the Almighty's saying: {Say, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities—what is apparent of them and what is concealed—and sin and unlawful aggression} (Al-A'raf: 33). Thus, the combination of these two verses is proof of the prohibition of wine.
2. Ithm can mean the punishment, or it can mean the sins for which one deserves punishment. In either case, only the forbidden can be described by it.
3. The Almighty said: {And their sin is greater than their benefit}, explicitly stating the preponderance of sin/punishment, which necessitates prohibition.

Objection: The verse does not state that drinking wine is a sin, but that it contains a sin. Even if that sin is forbidden, why do you claim that because drinking wine results in that sin, it must be forbidden?

Response: Because the question concerned wine in general. When the Almighty clarified that it contains a sin, the intent was that this sin is inherent to it under all circumstances. Thus, drinking wine necessitates this forbidden consequence, and what necessitates the forbidden is forbidden. Therefore, drinking must be forbidden.

Some scholars say this verse does not indicate the prohibition of wine, arguing:

1. The Almighty affirmed that it contains benefits for people, and the forbidden cannot contain benefit.
2. If this verse indicated its prohibition, why were they not satisfied until the verse of Al-Ma'idah and the verse prohibiting prayer were revealed?
3. The Almighty informed that it contains a great sin (ithm kabir), which implies that this great sin exists as long as the substance exists. If this great sin were the cause of its prohibition, its prohibition should have been established in previous dispensations.

Rebuttal to these objections:

• Rebuttal to 1: The presence of immediate worldly benefit does not prevent it from being forbidden. If this is the case, the presence of benefit does not prevent its prohibition, because the truth of the specific implies the truth of the general.
• Rebuttal to 2: We have narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that it was revealed concerning the prohibition of wine, and the hesitation you mentioned is not narrated from them. It is possible that senior Companions requested the revelation of something stronger in prohibition, just as Abraham (peace be upon him) requested to witness the reviving of the dead to increase his certainty.
• Rebuttal to 3: His saying {In them is great sin} is a statement about the current state, not the past. We hold that Allah Almighty knew that drinking wine was a source of corruption for them at that time, and He knew that it was not a source of corruption for the nations before this Ummah. This completes the discussion on this topic.

Issue 3: The Reality of Maysir (Gambling)

Maysir is gambling, a verbal noun derived from yasara (to gamble), like maw'id and marji' from their respective verbs. It is said: Yassartuhu if you gambled with him. They differed on its derivation in several ways:

1. View 1 (Muqatil): It is derived from yusr (ease) because one takes another's wealth easily (yusr) without toil or effort. They used to say: "Make the price of the camel easy for us." Or it is derived from yasar (wealth) because it is a cause of wealth. Ibn 'Abbas said: In the pre-Islamic era, a man would stake his family and wealth.
2. View 2 (Ibn Qutaybah): Maysir is from division (tajzi'ah) and apportionment. It is said: Yassiru ash-shay', meaning divide the thing. The camel itself was called maysir because it was divided into parts, so it was the place of division. The yāsir (gambler) was the butcher (jāzir) because he divided the camel meat. Then those who threw lots and gambled over the camel were called yāsirūn because that action resulted in the division of the camel meat.
3. View 3 (Al-Wahidi): It is from their saying: Yassara lī hādhā ash-shay' yaysiru yusran wa maysuran (This thing became incumbent/necessary for me). The yāsir is the incumbent thing due to the lots. This is the discussion on the derivation of this word.

The Description of Maysir:

The author of Al-Kashshāf said: They had ten lots (azlām or aqlām): Al-Fadh, At-Taw'am, Ar-Raqīb, Al-Hilis (with fatḥa on Hā and kasra on Lām, or kasra on Hā and sukūn on Lām), Al-Musbal, Al-Mu'allī, An-Nāfis, Al-Munīḥ, As-Safīḥ, and Al-Waghd. Each had a known share of a camel they slaughtered and divided into ten parts (or twenty-eight parts minus three: Al-Munīḥ, As-Safīḥ, and Al-Wa'd). Some poets mentioned these names:

I have shares in the world, In which there is no winner, And their names are Waghd, And Safīḥ, and Munīḥ.

Al-Fadh had one share, At-Taw'am had two, Ar-Raqīb had three, Al-Hilis had four, An-Nāfis had five, Al-Musbal had six, and Al-Mu'allī had seven. They placed them in a pouch (ar-rabābah), which is a small bag, and put them in the hand of an impartial person. He would shake it and draw out a lot in the name of a man. Whoever drew a lot with a designated share would take the portion marked by that lot. Whoever drew a lot with no share took nothing and was liable for the entire price of the camel. They used to give these shares to the poor and not eat from them, boasting about this and criticizing those who did not participate, calling them al-birr (the righteous).

Issue 4: Scope of Maysir

They differed on whether maysir refers only to that specific type of gambling or all types of gambling.

It is narrated from the Prophet (PBUH): (Beware of these two dice, for they are from the gambling of the non-Arabs.)

Ibn Sirin, Mujahid, and 'Ata' said: Everything involving risk (khaṭar) is maysir, even children playing with nuts.

Regarding chess, it is narrated from 'Ali (peace be upon him) that he said: Backgammon (nard) and chess are from maysir.

Imam Ash-Shafi'i said: If chess is free from stakes (rihān), the tongue from excessive talk, and prayer from being forgotten, it is not forbidden and is outside the scope of maysir, because maysir is what necessitates paying or taking money, which chess does not do. Thus, it is neither gambling nor maysir. Allah knows best.

As for racing with horses and camels (as-sabq), by consensus, it is not maysir. Its explanation is mentioned in the books of Fiqh under the chapter of racing and archery.

Issue 5: The Great Sin (Ithm Kabir)

This involves several points:

1. The human intellect is the noblest of attributes, and wine is the enemy of the intellect. Whatever is the enemy of the noblest thing must be the basest. Therefore, drinking wine must be the basest of deeds. The intellect is called such because it acts like a hobble ('iqāl) for the camel; when a person's nature calls him to an ugly act, his intellect prevents him. When he drinks wine, the nature calling him to ugly deeds remains unchecked by the intellect that restrains them. The consequences are well-known. Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya mentioned passing by an intoxicated man who was urinating into his hand and wiping his face as if performing ablution, saying: "Praise be to Allah who made Islam light and water purifying." 'Abbas ibn Murdas was told in the pre-Islamic era: "Why don't you drink wine, for it increases your boldness?" He replied: "I will not take my ignorance in my hand and put it in my stomach, nor would I be content to be the master of my people one morning and their fool the next."
2. What Allah mentioned: causing animosity, hatred, and diversion from the remembrance of Allah and prayer.
3. This sin has a unique characteristic: the more a person engages in it and adheres to it, the stronger his inclination and power over the self become. This is unlike other sins; for example, if a fornicator does it once, his desire lessens, and the more he does it, the more lethargic and averse he becomes. But with drinking, the more he engages in it, the more energetic and desirous he becomes. If he persists, he becomes submerged in physical pleasures, heedless of the Hereafter and the Return, until he becomes one of those who forgot Allah and whom He made forget themselves. In short, wine removes the intellect, and when the intellect is removed, all evils occur. That is why the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Wine is the mother of all evils."

As for maysir, the sin in it is that it leads to animosity, as well as the cursing and quarreling that occur between them. Furthermore, it is consuming wealth wrongfully, which also breeds enmity, because the owner who loses his wealth for nothing becomes intensely hated. It also distracts from the remembrance of Allah and prayer.

As for the benefits mentioned in {and [some] benefit for people}:

• Benefits of Wine: They used to sell it at high prices when brought from other regions. If a buyer refrained from haggling over the price, they considered it a virtue and honor, leading to increased profits. It also strengthens the weak, aids digestion, assists in sexual intercourse, comforts the sad, emboldens the coward, makes the miser generous, clears the complexion, revives natural heat, and increases ambition and loftiness.
• Benefits of Gambling (Maysir): Providing for the needy, because the one who gambled did not eat from the camel; rather, he distributed it to the needy. Al-Waqidi mentioned that one person might gamble away one hundred camels in a single session, thus acquiring wealth without toil, which he then distributed to the needy, earning praise and commendation.

Issue 6: The Reading of Kathir (Great/Many)

Hamzah and Al-Kisā'ī read {kathīr} (great/many) with a thā' (three dots above), while the rest read it with a bā' (one dot below).

Argument for Hamzah and Al-Kisā'ī (reading with Thā' - many): Allah described many types of sin in wine and gambling, as in {Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through wine and gambling...} (Al-Ma'idah: 91). He mentioned numerous sins in them, and the Prophet (PBUH) cursed ten people because of wine, indicating the abundance of sin in them. Also, sin in this verse is contrasted with benefits; just as the benefits are numerous, so too is the sin. The meaning becomes: "In them are many harms and many benefits."

Argument for the Rest (reading with Bā' - great): Exaggeration in magnifying the sin is achieved through greatness (kibar), not abundance (kathrah). This is supported by verses like {major sins} (An-Najm: 32), {major things which you are forbidden} (An-Nisa': 31), and {Indeed, it was a great sin} (An-Nisa': 2). Furthermore, all reciters agree on reading {And their sin is greater (akbar)} with a bā' (dot below), which supports our view (that the emphasis is on magnitude, not quantity).

Ruling Four: On Spending

{... in this world and the Hereafter. And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about what they should spend. Say, "That which is above and beyond [your needs]. Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses that you may reflect in this world and the Hereafter."}

Know that this question was previously mentioned and answered by specifying the recipients of spending. Here, it is repeated and answered by specifying the quantity.

Al-Qaffal said: A person might ask another about a man's doctrine and character, "What is so-and-so like?" The answer might be: "He is a man whose doctrine is such and whose character is such." Knowing this, we say: Since people saw Allah and His Messenger encouraging spending and indicating its great reward, they asked about the extent of what they were obligated to spend—was it all their wealth or some of it? Allah informed them that what is al-'afw (above and beyond) is accepted.

In this verse, there are several issues:

Al-Wahidi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The root of al-'afw in language means excess/increase. Allah said: {Take what is al-'afw} (Al-A'raf: 199), meaning the excess. He also said: {until they became afaw} (Al-A'raf: 95), meaning they increased beyond their previous number.

Al-Qaffal said: Al-'Afw is what is easy and readily available, which remains after sufficiency. It is said: "Take what is afw for you," meaning what is easy. It seems that pardoning a sin also relates to ease and facilitation. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "I have pardoned you the Zakat on horses and slaves, so pay the Zakat on one-quarter of your wealth." This means lightening the burden by waiving the Zakat on horses and slaves. It is said: A'fa fulanun fulanan bihaqqihi (So-and-so excused so-and-so regarding his right) if he delivered it to him without insistence on demanding it, which relates to easing. It is said: "He gave him such-and-such afwan safwan (readily/purely)," meaning without troubling him with harm. It is said: "Take from people what is afw for you," meaning what is easy for you from people. Hence His saying: {Take what is al-'afw} (Al-A'raf: 199), meaning what is easy for you from people. Easy land is also called al-'afw.

Since al-'afw means ease, this usually applies to what remains over and above what a person needs for himself, his dependents, and those whose maintenance is his responsibility. Thus, the view that al-'afw is the excess relates to the interpretation we mentioned.

The overall interpretation is that Allah disciplined people regarding spending. He commanded His Prophet (PBUH): {And give the relative his due, and the needy, and the traveler. And do not spend wastefully. Indeed, Allah does not like the wasteful} (Al-Isra': 26-27). He also said: {And do not make your hand chained to your neck, nor extend it all the way out} and {And those who, when they spend, are neither wasteful nor stingy} (Al-Furqan: 67).

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "When one of you has something, let him start with himself, then those he supports, and so on." He also said: "The best charity is that which leaves the rich wealthy, and one is not blamed for having enough to suffice."

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah narrated: While we were with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), a man came to him with something like a gold egg and said: "O Messenger of Allah, take this as charity, for by Allah, I own nothing else." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) turned away from him. Then the man came to him from the front, and he said: "Bring it here!" angrily, and he took it from him, then threw it where, had it hit him, it would have caused pain. Then he said: "One of you comes to me with his wealth, owning nothing else, and then sits begging from people? Charity is only from wealth remaining after sufficiency. Take it; we have no need for it."

The Prophet (PBUH) used to reserve a year's provision for his family. The wise said: Virtue lies between the extremes of excess and deficiency. Excessive spending is wastefulness (tabdhir), and extreme reduction is stinginess (taqtīr). Justice is the virtue, which is what is meant by {Say, "That which is above and beyond [your needs]"}. The foundation of Muhammad's (PBUH) law is based on observing this subtlety. The law of the Jews was built on complete harshness, and the law of the Christians was built on complete leniency. The law of Muhammad (PBUH) is moderate in all these matters, making it the most complete of all.

Abu 'Amr read (al-'afw) with a ḍammah on the wāw (making it nominative, al-'afwu), while the rest read it with fatḥa (making it accusative, al-'afwa).

• Those who read it nominatively (al-'afwu): They interpret dhā (that which) as meaning alladhī (that which), and the following verb (yunfiqūn) is its complement. It is as if He said: "What is it that they spend?" He replied: "It is al-'afw."
• Those who read it accusatively (al-'afwa): The implied structure is: "What do they spend?" The answer is: "They spend al-'afw."

They differed on whether this spending refers to obligatory spending or voluntary spending.

Those who say it is obligatory spending have two views:

1. View of Abu Muslim: Al-'Afw could be Zakat, mentioned here generally, with its details found in the Sunnah.
2. This was before the verse of Ṣadaqāt (charities) was revealed. People were commanded to take what sufficed them from their earnings for the year and spend the rest. This ruling was then abrogated by the Zakat verse. Under this view, the verse is abrogated.

The second view is that it refers to voluntary spending (charity): The argument is that if it were obligatory, Allah would have specified its amount. Since He did not specify it but left it to the discretion of the addressee, we know it is not obligatory.

Rebuttal: It is not impossible for Allah to obligate something generally and then specify its details through another means.

As for His saying: {Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses}, it means: I have clarified the matter concerning what you asked about regarding the types and recipients of spending. Likewise, I will clarify for you in the future all that you will need.

As for His saying: {that you may reflect in this world and the Hereafter}, there are several interpretations:

1. Al-Hasan's view: There is a transposition. The meaning is: "Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses in this world and the Hereafter, that you may reflect."
2. It means: {Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses}—He makes known to you that wine and gambling have benefits in this world but harms in the Hereafter. If you reflect on the conditions of this world and the Hereafter, you will know that the Hereafter must be preferred over the world.
3. It means: He makes known to you that spending wealth for the sake of the Hereafter and withholding it for the sake of this world, so you reflect on the affairs of this world and the Hereafter and know that the Hereafter must be preferred over the world.

Know that since the statement can be taken at its apparent meaning as established in the first two views, imposing a transposition as Al-Hasan suggested is deviating from the apparent meaning without evidence, which is not permissible.

Ruling Five: Concerning Orphans

{... in this world and the Hereafter. And they ask you about the orphans. Say, "To set right for them is best. And if you mix your affairs with theirs—then they are your brothers. And Allah knows the corrupter from the one who sets things right. And if Allah had willed, He could have put you into difficulty. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.}