Al-Baqarah: (272) It is not upon you [to guide] them...

This is the fourth ruling concerning expenditure (Infaq), clarifying whom it is permissible to spend upon. Within this verse are several issues:

Issue 1: Regarding the Cause of Revelation

There are several accounts regarding the reason for this verse's revelation:

1. The first narration: This verse was revealed when Nutilah, the mother of Asma' bint Abi Bakr, and her grandmother—both of whom were polytheists—came to Asma' asking her for something. Asma' replied, "I will not give you anything until I ask the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), for you are not upon my religion." When she asked him, Allah revealed this verse, and the Prophet (PBUH) commanded her to give charity to them.
2. The second narration: Some people among the Ansar had relatives among the Qurayzah and Banu Nadir tribes. These Ansar used not to give them charity, saying, "Unless you embrace Islam, we will not give you anything." Then this verse was revealed.
3. The third narration: The Prophet (PBUH) used not to give charity to the polytheists until this verse was revealed, after which he gave charity to them.

The meaning, consistent across all narrations, is: It is not your responsibility for them to be guided such that you prevent them from receiving charity because they have not yet entered Islam. Therefore, give charity to them for the sake of Allah, and do not condition it upon their conversion. This is similar to His saying: "Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes..." (Al-Mumtahanah: 8), which permitted maintaining ties with this category of polytheists.

Issue 2: The Prophet's Concern for Their Faith

The Prophet (PBUH) was intensely eager for their faith, as Allah states: "Then perhaps you would kill yourself with grief over their footsteps, should they not believe in this message, out of sorrow" (Al-Kahf: 6), and "Then perhaps you will destroy yourself with grief over them if they do not believe in this statement" (Ash-Shu'ara: 3). He also said: "Then will you compel the people until they become believers?" (Yunus: 99), and "Indeed, there has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and [is] to the believers, merciful and compassionate" (At-Tawbah: 128).

Allah informed him that He sent him as a bearer of good tidings, a warner, a caller to Allah by His permission, a shining lamp, and a clarifier of proofs. However, their being guided is not dependent on you or through you.

Here, guidance (hudā) means being rightly guided (ihtidā'). Therefore, whether they are guided or not, do not cut off your aid, blessings, and charity from them.

There is another interpretation: It is not your duty to force them toward guidance by withholding your charity until they believe. Such faith would not benefit them, as the required faith must be based on voluntary choice and selection.

Issue 3: The Scope of the Address

The apparent meaning of "It is not upon you [to guide] them" addresses the Prophet (PBUH) alone. However, the intended meaning includes him and his Ummah. Do you not see that He said, "If you disclose your charities..." (Al-Baqarah: 271), which is a general address, and then said, "It is not upon you [to guide] them," which appears specific? Then He followed it with, "And whatever you spend is for yourselves," which is general. Thus, we understand that the verse is general due to the generality of what precedes and follows it.

The Ash'arites used this verse as proof that Allah's guidance is not general but is specific to the believers. They argue that since He negated guidance in "It is not upon you [to guide] them," the affirmation in "But Allah guides whom He wills" must refer to the guidance that was negated. The negated guidance in the first part is guidance based on choice (ikhtiyār). Therefore, "But Allah guides whom He wills" refers to the attainment of guidance through choice, which implies that this choice-based guidance occurs through Allah's decree, creation, and actualization—which is the desired outcome.

The Mu'tazilites offered several interpretations for "But Allah guides whom He wills":

1. He guides by rewarding and recompensing whomever He wills among those who deserve it.
2. He guides by providing favors (al-lutuf) and increases in guidance to whomever He wills.
3. But Allah guides by compulsion (al-ikrāh) whomever He wills, meaning He is capable of doing so even if He does not act upon it.
4. He guides by name and decree (al-ism wa al-hukm) whomever He wills, so whoever is guided deserves praise for it.

The Ash'arites responded to all these interpretations by stating that what is affirmed in "But Allah guides whom He wills" must be the same thing negated in "It is not upon you [to guide] them." Since the negated guidance was guidance based on choice, the affirmed guidance must also be guidance based on choice. Under this premise, all the Mu'tazilite interpretations fall apart.

The meaning is: Every expenditure of good you spend is for your own selves, meaning its reward will be attained by your selves. Therefore, their disbelief does not harm you.

There are several interpretations of this phrase:

1. The meaning is: When you give charity to your polytheist relatives, you are intending nothing except the Face of Allah. Allah knows this intention in your hearts, so spend upon them if your intention is solely to seek the Face of Allah by maintaining kinship and relieving a needy person. It is not your responsibility for their guidance to prevent you from spending on them.
2. Although this appears as a statement of fact, its meaning is a prohibition: "And do not spend except seeking the Face of Allah." News reports often carry the meaning of command or prohibition, such as: "And mothers shall breastfeed their offspring..." (Al-Baqarah: 233) and "Divorced women shall keep themselves in waiting..." (Al-Baqarah: 228).
3. The meaning is: Do not be among those who spend and deserve the praiseworthy title of a giver unless you seek the Face of Allah through that spending.

Issue 2 (under the previous verse): The Meaning of "Seeking the Face of Allah"

There are two views on the phrase "except seeking the Face of Allah" (illa ibtighā' wajh Allāh):

1. When you say, "I did it for the Face of Zayd," it is more noble in expression than saying, "I did it for him," because the face (wajh) is the noblest part of a thing. This expression became common to signify nobility.
2. If you say, "I did this action for him," it is possible that you did it for him and for someone else. However, if you say, "I did this action for His Face," it indicates that you did the action only for Him, with no partner in that action.

Issue 3: Application to Zakat and Voluntary Charity

There is consensus that Zakat (obligatory charity) cannot be given to a non-Muslim. Therefore, this verse is specific to voluntary charity (Sadaqat al-Taṭawwu'). Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him) permitted giving Sadaqat al-Fitr to the People of the Covenant (Ahl al-Dhimmah), while others disagreed. Some scholars stated: Even if they were the worst of creation, the reward for your spending would still be yours.

This means its reward will be fully repaid to you in the Hereafter. The use of "to you" (ilaykum) is appropriate because it implies the concept of rendering or paying back (ta'diyah).

This means you will not be diminished in the reward of your deeds, similar to His saying: "Its fruit [was brought forth] and it did not fall short of it in anything" (Al-Kahf: 33), meaning it was not diminished.

Verse 273: