Al-Baqarah: (274) Those who spend their wealth...

Issues in the Verse:

There are several opinions:

1. Since the preceding verses explained who is most deserving of spending (i.e., the recipients), this verse explains how the spending should be done in the best manner, saying: {Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly, they will have...}
2. This verse serves to reinforce the preceding statement: {If you give charity openly, how good it is} (Al-Baqarah: 274).
3. Since this verse concludes the discussion on the rulings of spending, it naturally guides people toward the most complete forms of expenditure.

There are several views:

1. When the verse {For the poor who are confined in the cause of Allah...} was revealed, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf sent two dīnārs to the People of the Bench (Aṣḥāb al-Ṣuffah), and 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a wasaq (a measure of grain) by night. It is said that the charity of the night was more beloved to Allah, and this verse was revealed concerning it, indicating that night charity is superior.
2. Ibn 'Abbas narrated that 'Ali (peace be upon him) owned only four dirhams. He gave one by night, one by day, one secretly, and one openly. The Prophet (PBUH) asked him what motivated this, and he replied, "To deserve what my Lord promised me." The Prophet (PBUH) affirmed this, and then Allah revealed this verse.
3. The author of Al-Kashshāf said it was revealed concerning Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) when he spent forty thousand dīnārs: ten by night, ten by day, ten in secret, and ten openly.
4. It was revealed concerning feeding and tethering horses for the cause of Allah. Abu Hurayrah, whenever he passed a well-fed horse, would recite this verse.
5. The verse is general, encouraging those who spend at all times and in all circumstances to hasten to fulfill the needs of the needy without delaying or tying it to a specific time or condition. This is the best view because, as the final verse discussing spending, it naturally mentions the most complete forms of expenditure. And Allah knows best.

Al-Zajjaj stated that {Those who...} (Alladhīna) is in the nominative case (raf') as the subject (Mubtada'). The particle fa' (then) in {then they will have...} (fa-lahum) can be the response to the conditional Alladhīna, as Alladhīna can imply a conditional structure.

The meaning is: Whoever spends, their reward will not be lost. If one said, "The one who honored me, he has a dirham," it wouldn't necessarily imply the dirham is because of the honoring. But if one says, "The one who honored me, then he has a dirham," the fa' indicates that receiving the reward is a direct consequence of the spending. And Allah knows best.

The verse indicates that charity in secret is superior to charity in public, because night was mentioned before day, and secret before open in the recitation.

Then He said at the end of the verse: {They will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will come upon them, nor will they grieve} (Al-Baqarah: 274). The meaning is clear, and there are two issues concerning it:

It indicates that those who deserve the reward will have no fear on the Day of Resurrection. This is confirmed by the verse: {The Greatest Terror will not grieve them} (Al-Anbiya: 103).

This promise is conditional, according to all scholars, upon the person not committing disbelief (kufr) afterward. According to the Mu'tazila, it is also conditional upon not committing a major sin that nullifies deeds afterward. We have already established this issue thoroughly. Here ends the discussion of the rulings related to spending.

The Second Ruling: The Ruling on Usury (Ribā)

The second legal ruling mentioned in this section of the Surah concerns usury:

{Those who consume usury will not stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That is because they say, "Trade is just like usury." But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden usury. So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and ceases, then he is permitted to retain what has already passed, and his affair is with Allah. But whoever returns [to it] - those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.}