ﱁ ﱂ ﱃ ﱄ ﱅ ﱆ ﱇ ﱈ ﱉ ﱊ ﱋ ﱌ ﱍ ﱎ ﱏ ﱐ ﱑ ﱒ ﱓ ﱔ ﱕ ﱖ ﱗ ﱘ ﱙ ﱚ ﱛ ﱜ
No good is there in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is right or conciliation between people. And whoever does that seeking means to the approval of Allah - then We are going to give him a great reward.
Tafsir
Verse range: 4:114
"There is no good in much of their private conversation" Meaning: in the private consultations of people.
"Except for those who enjoin charity" The phrase "except for those who enjoin" (illā man amara) is in the genitive case (majrūr), acting as a substitute (badal) for "much" (kathīr), as if you were to say: "There is no good in their standing, except for the standing of Zayd."
It is also permissible for it to be in the accusative case (manṣūb) as an exception of disconnection (inqiṭāʿ), meaning: "But as for the one who enjoins charity, there is good in his private conversation."
It has been said that "good" (al-maʿrūf) refers to a loan, or aiding the distressed, or it is a general term for every beautiful deed. It is also possible that "charity" (ṣadaqa) refers to the obligatory, and "good" (maʿrūf) refers to what is given as voluntary charity.
From the Prophet (ﷺ): "All the speech of the son of Adam is against him, not for him, except for what is enjoining good, forbidding evil, or the remembrance of Allah."
Sufyan heard a man say, "How severe this hadith is!" He replied, "Have you not heard Allah say: 'There is no good in much of their private conversation'? This is exactly that. Or have you not heard Him say: 'By time, indeed mankind is in loss' (Al-ʿAṣr: 1-2)? This is exactly that."
The condition for deserving the "great reward" is that the doer of good intends the worship of Allah and draws near to Him, seeking His Face sincerely, for deeds are by intentions.
If you ask: How did He say "Except for those who enjoin" (illā man amara) and then say "And whoever does that" (wa man yafʿal dhālika)?
I say: He mentioned the "enjoining of good" to point toward the "doer of good." For if the one who enjoins it enters the ranks of the righteous, then the one who performs it is even more entitled to enter.
Then He said: "And whoever does that" He mentioned the "doer" and coupled it with the promise of a great reward. It is also possible that it means "whoever enjoins that," expressing the "enjoining" as a "deed," just as it is expressed for all other actions. It has been recited as yuʾtihi (He will give him) with a yāʾ.
