Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:37

"Those who are stingy and enjoin..."

"Those who are stingy" This is a substitute (badal) for His saying: "Whoever is arrogant and boastful." It may also be in the accusative case (nasb) to denote dispraise, or in the nominative case (raf') as an initial subject (mubtada') whose predicate is omitted—as if it were said: "Those who are stingy, do such-and-such, and act in such-and-such a way are deserving of every reproach."

It has been recited as bi-l-bukhl (with a damma on the ba'), bi-l-bakhal (with a fatha), bi-l-bakhal (with two fathas), and bi-l-bukhl (with two dammas). This means they are stingy with what they possess and with what is in the hands of others, commanding them to be stingy with it out of hatred for generosity from anyone who possesses it.

In the proverbs of the Arabs: "More stingy than one who is miserly with the bounty of another." A poet said: "Indeed, a man whose hands are miserly toward another Regarding the bounty of someone else is truly a miser."

I have seen those afflicted with the disease of stinginess who, when they hear that someone has been generous to another, become agitated, loosen their garments, tremble, and their eyes roll in their heads—as if their luggage had been plundered and their treasury broken into, out of distress and regret for that generosity.

It is said: They are the Jews who would approach men of the Ansar, feigning sincerity, and say: "Do not spend your wealth, for we fear poverty for you, and you do not know what might happen."

God has censured them for concealing the favor of God and the bounty of wealth He gave them, while feigning poverty before people.

From the Prophet (ﷺ): "If God bestows a favor upon a servant, He loves to see the effect of His favor upon His servant."

Anecdote: A builder built a palace for Harun al-Rashid opposite his own, and someone slandered him to the Caliph. The man said: "O Commander of the Faithful, the generous person is pleased to see the effect of his favor, so I wanted to please you by letting you look upon the effects of your favor." The Caliph was pleased with his words.

It is also said: It was revealed regarding the Jews who concealed the description of the Messenger of God (ﷺ).