Tafsir of Al-Furqan 25:67

Readings: It is read as yaqturu (with a kasra on the ta), yuqtiru (with a damma on the ta), and yaqturu (with both a light and a heavy ta). Al-qatr, al-iqtar, and al-taqtir all mean restriction, which is the opposite of israf (extravagance). Israf is exceeding the limit in spending.

Exegesis: They are described as having qasd (moderation), which lies between excess and deficiency. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was commanded with the same: "And do not make your hand chained to your neck, nor extend it completely" (Al-Isra: 29).

It is said: Israf only occurs when spending on sins; as for spending on acts of devotion, there is no israf. A man heard someone say, "There is no good in israf," and he replied, "There is no israf in goodness."

It is narrated that Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (may Allah be pleased with him) thanked Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan when he married his daughter to him and treated him well, speaking with beautiful words. Abd al-Malik’s son remarked, "These are just words he prepared for this occasion." Abd al-Malik remained silent. Days later, when the son was present, he asked Umar about his spending and affairs. Umar replied, "It is the good [state] between two bad ones." Abd al-Malik realized he was referring to this verse and said to his son, "My son, is this also something he prepared?"

It is said: They are the companions of Muhammad (ﷺ). They did not eat food for pleasure or delight, nor did they wear clothes for beauty or adornment. Rather, they ate what satisfied their hunger and helped them worship their Lord, and they wore what covered their nakedness and protected them from heat and cold. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "It is sufficient extravagance that a man does not desire anything except that he buys it and eats it."

Linguistic Analysis: Al-qawam is justice between two things, ensuring the stability and balance of both sides. Al-qawam (in terms of uprightness) is analogous to al-sawa' (in terms of equality). It is also read as qiwaman (with a kasra), meaning that by which a thing is sustained. It is said, "You are our qiwam," meaning that which fulfills the need without excess or deficiency.

Regarding the two accusatives in "between that, a qawam":

1. It is possible they are both predicates.
2. It is possible "between that" is redundant, and qawam is the established predicate.
3. It is possible the adverbial phrase is the predicate, and qawam is an emphatic state (hal).

Al-Farra permitted "between that" to be the subject of kana, on the basis that it is indeclinable due to its annexation to a non-inflected word. While this is grammatically acceptable, the meaning is weak, because that which is between extravagance and restriction is inevitably a qawam, so there is no benefit in the predicate, which is the core of the intended meaning.

"And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity, nor kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. The punishment will be multiplied for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated—except for those who repent, believe, and do righteous work. For them, Allah will replace their evil deeds with good deeds. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful."