Tafsir of Muhammad 47:36

Surah Muhammad (47): Verse 36

{إِنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَإِن تُؤْمِنُوا وَتَتَّقُوا يُؤْتِكُمْ أُجُورَكُمْ وَلَا يَسْأَلْكُمْ أَمْوَالَكُمْ}

(36) The life of this world is but diversion and amusement. And if you believe and fear Allah, He will give you your rewards, and He will not ask of you your wealth.

This verse serves as further consolation, addressing the concern: How can the world prevent you from seeking the Hereafter through Jihad?

1. Regarding Worldly Loss: Since you are often victorious, the world will likely not escape you. Even if something is missed, your action (Jihad) is not dependent on it. How could you be concerned about what you might miss? If something is missed and not compensated for, you should not pay attention to it because it is mere play and amusement.
2. Definition of Play (La'b) and Amusement (Lahu): We have repeatedly mentioned that Play (La'b) is what occupies you, yet it involves no immediate necessity nor ultimate benefit. If a person uses it without being distracted from other things or deterred from important duties, it is Play. If it distracts and preoccupies him from his important matters, it is Amusement (Lahu). This is why instruments of distraction are called Malāhī (things that cause amusement/distraction). Things lesser than that are called La'b, like playing chess or with pigeons. We have mentioned this several times.
3. Reiteration of the Promise: The phrase {And if you believe and fear Allah, He will give you your rewards} is a repetition of the promise for clarification. It refers to the reward promised previously, such as: "a noble reward" (74:11), "a great reward" (11:11), and "a mighty reward" (3:172).
4. Regarding Wealth: The statement {and He will not ask of you your wealth} has several interpretations:
   • First Interpretation: Jihad necessitates spending. If someone were to say, "I will not spend my wealth," it is said to him: Allah does not ask you for your wealth in specific obligatory expenditures like Zakat, spoils of war (Ghanīmah), or in matters of public interest where you need the money; you are not held accountable for withholding it.
   • Second Interpretation: Wealth ultimately belongs to Allah, and what is in your hands is merely on loan. Since He has requested or permitted you to spend it in the path of Jihad, there is no reason for stinginess with His wealth. This is alluded to by the verse: {And what is [the matter] with you that you spend not in the cause of Allah while to Allah belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth?} (57:10), meaning everything belongs to Him.
   • Third Interpretation: He does not ask for all your wealth. He only asks for a small portion of it, which is one-quarter of a tenth (Rub' al-'Ushr), which is very little. The tenth (Ushr) is the smallest fraction, as there is no fraction smaller than it that has a singular name. Fractions like one-eleventh, one-twelfth, or one-hundredth are not given singular names because they are not considered significant enough to warrant one.

Furthermore, Allah Almighty did not obligate this [spending] on the principal capital itself, but rather on the profit (Ribh), which is from Allah's bounty and gift. Although the principal capital is also from Him, this meaning is clearer regarding the profit.

Wealth is divided into that which is used for trade and that which is not. The portion used for trade is one category, which may either yield profit or not. This single category thus splits into two. Consequently, in estimation, the profit is considered to be in one-fourth of the capital. Therefore, the obligation is on the tenth of what contains the profit (which is the profit itself), making it one-quarter of a tenth—this is what is obligatory. Thus, it is understood that Allah does not ask you for your wealth, nor the majority of it.

{وإِن يَسْأَلْكُمُوهَا فَيُحْفِكُمْ تَبْخَلُوا وَيُخْرِجْ أَضْغَانَكُمْ}

(37) And if He should ask them of it and press you, you would become stingy, and He would bring out your [hidden] animosities.