ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ ﱰ ﱱ ﱲ ﱳ ﱴ ﱵ ﱶ ﱷ ﱸ ﱹ ﱺ ﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ ﱿ ﲀ ﲁ ﲂ ﲃ ﲄ ﲅ ﲆ
The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies [His reward] for whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
Tafsir
Verse range: 2:261
Know that when the Almighty mentioned the foundations of knowledge regarding the Originator (Al-Mabda') and the Return (Al-Ma'ad), along with the proofs of their validity, He followed that by explaining the religious laws, rulings, and obligations.
The first ruling concerns the obligations related to spending wealth. This verse contains several issues:
First View: Al-Qadi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: When Allah summarized in His saying, {Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan, and He will multiply it for him manifold?} (Al-Baqarah: 245), He then elaborated on those multiplications in this verse. The verses between them mention the proofs of His power through giving life and causing death, because without these, the obligation to spend would not be appropriate. If there were no God who rewards and punishes, spending in all acts of obedience would be futile. Thus, it is as if the Almighty said to the one inclined to spend: You know that I created you and perfected My favor upon you through giving life and power, and you know My ability to recompense and reward. Therefore, let your knowledge of these matters prompt you to spend your wealth, for I reward the little with much. Then, He struck a likeness for this abundance: that whoever sows a seed yields seven ears, and in every ear are a hundred grains, so that one becomes seven hundred.
Second View: Regarding the connection, Al-Asamm mentioned that Allah struck this likeness after He had established proof against everyone that necessitates believing the Prophet (peace be upon him) to encourage them to strive with their lives and wealth in supporting him and elevating his law.
Third View: When the Almighty clarified that He is the protector of the believers, and that the disbelievers' protectors are the Taghut (idols/tyrants), He presented a likeness comparing what the believer spends in the way of Allah and what the disbeliever spends in the way of the Taghut.
There is an implied meaning (Idmār). The intended meaning is: The likeness of the charity of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like the likeness of a seed. Or, the likeness of those who spend their wealth is like the likeness of a sower of a seed.
This means in His religion. It was said that it refers specifically to spending in Jihad. Another view is that it encompasses all avenues of righteousness, including obligatory and voluntary spending for emigration with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), spending in Jihad for oneself and others, distributing money as charity, and spending for public welfare (Masalih), because all of that is counted in the "Way" (Sabil), which is the religion and path of Allah, as all of it is spending in the way of Allah.
Objection: Have you ever seen an ear with one hundred grains to use it as an example?
Answer: The response is twofold:
First Answer: The purpose of the verse is that if a person seeking profit and increase knew that by sowing one seed he would yield seven hundred seeds, he should not neglect that or fall short. Similarly, whoever seeks reward in the Hereafter from Allah should not neglect it when he knows that for one he receives ten, one hundred, or seven hundred. Since this meaning is rational, whether a seed with this description exists in this world or not, the meaning is established and sound. This is the view of Al-Qaffal (may Allah have mercy on him), and it is very good.
Second Answer: This has been observed in the seed of millet (Jawāris). This answer is extremely weak.
Abu 'Amr, Hamzah, and Al-Kisa'i used to assimilate the tā' into the sīn in {anbatat sab'a sanābil} (it produced seven ears) because both are unvoiced (mahmūs) letters. The rest recited it with clear separation based on the original form.
Then He said: {And Allah multiplies for whom He wills}. There is no specification of the quantity of that multiplication, nor is it specified who Allah honors with this multiplication. Rather, it is permissible that Allah multiplies for all the pious, or that He multiplies for some of them because their spending is more deeply rooted in sincerity, or because Allah, by His grace and bounty, links their obedience to increased acceptance and reward.
Then He said: {And Allah is Hearing}, meaning, possessing vast power to recompense for generosity and bestowal upon them according to the amounts spent and the manner in which they deserve reward for it. When this is the case, the action of the doer will not be lost with Allah Almighty.
{ Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and then do not follow up what they have spent with reminders (of it) or injury—for them is their reward with their Lord, and no fear will come upon them, nor will they grieve. }
