Al-Baqarah: 177
"Righteousness is not..."
Righteousness (al-birr): A name for goodness and every act that is pleasing.
"That you turn your faces toward the East and the West": This address is directed at the People of the Scripture. The Jews pray toward the West (toward Jerusalem), and the Christians toward the East. They argued extensively about the qibla (direction of prayer) when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was directed toward the Kaaba. Each group claimed that righteousness was found in facing their own qibla, so this verse was revealed to refute them.
It is said: "Righteousness is not what you are upon, for it is abrogated and outside of true righteousness; rather, righteousness is what We shall clarify."
It is also said: The Muslims and the People of the Scripture argued much about the qibla, so it was said: "The great righteousness—the one you should be so preoccupied with that you neglect other forms of goodness—is not the matter of the qibla. Rather, the righteousness that deserves concern and effort is the righteousness of one who believes and performs these deeds."
- Grammatical notes: It is read as laysa al-birra (in the accusative) as a fronted predicate. Abdullah (Ibn Mas'ud) read it as bi-an tuwallu (with the ba prefixing the predicate for emphasis), similar to saying laysa al-muntaliqu bi-Zayd.
- "But righteousness is [that of] one who believes in Allah": This implies an omitted possessive (i.e., the righteousness of one who believes), or that al-birr is interpreted as "possessor of righteousness," or as the poet said: "It is merely coming and going."
- Al-Mubarrad said: "If I were one who recites the Quran, I would read wa-lakinna al-barra (with a fatha on the ba)." It is also read as wa-lakinna al-barr. Ibn Amir and Nafi' read it as wa-lakinna al-birra (with lightened nun).
"And the Book": The category of Allah’s books or the Quran.
"Out of love for it": Meaning, while loving wealth and being stingy with it. As Ibn Mas'ud said: "That you give it while you are healthy and stingy, hoping for a long life and fearing poverty, not delaying until, when it reaches the throat, you say: 'Give so-and-so such and such.'"
- It is also said: "Out of love for Allah."
- It is also said: "Out of love for the act of giving," meaning he gives it while his soul is pleased with the giving.
- He prioritized the relatives because they are more deserving. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Your charity to the poor is charity, and to your relative it is two: charity and maintaining ties." He also said: "The best charity is to the relative who harbors enmity."
"The relatives, the orphans": Meaning the poor among them, to avoid ambiguity.
"The needy (al-miskin)": One who is constantly still (settled) before people because he has nothing, similar to al-muskir (one constantly intoxicated).
"And the wayfarer (ibn al-sabil)": The traveler cut off from his resources. He is called "son of the road" due to his constant association with it, just as a highway robber is called "son of the road." It is also said he is the guest, because the road leads him to you.
"And those who ask": Those seeking food. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The asker has a right, even if he comes on horseback."
"And for the freeing of slaves": Assisting those under a contract of manumission (mukātabīn) until they free their necks. It is also said: purchasing slaves to free them, or ransoming captives.
- Question: If giving wealth is mentioned in these categories, then followed by the giving of Zakat, does this indicate there is a right in wealth other than Zakat?
- Answer: It is possible. Al-Sha'bi held that there is a right in wealth other than Zakat and recited this verse. It is also possible that this is a clarification of the recipients of Zakat, or an encouragement toward voluntary charity and acts of goodness. The Hadith says: "Zakat has abrogated every [other] charity," meaning its obligatory nature. It is also narrated: "There is no right in wealth other than Zakat."
"And those who fulfill their covenant": Conjoined to "one who believes."
"And the patient": In the accusative case, indicating specification and praise, highlighting the virtue of patience in hardships and battlefields over all other deeds. It is also read as wa-al-sābirūn (nominative) and wa-al-mūfīn (conjoined).
"The hardship (al-ba'sa')": Poverty and severity.
"And the adversity (al-darra')": Illness and infirmity.
"They are the ones who have been true": They were truthful and earnest in their religion.
