2.271
If ye publish your almsgiving, it is well, but if ye hide it and give it to the poor, it will be better for you, and will atone for some of your ill-deeds. Allah is Informed of what ye do.
2.272
To make them walk in the right way is not incumbent on you, but Allah guides aright whom He pleases; and whatever good thing you spend, it is to your own good; and you do not spend but to seek Allah's pleasure; and whatever good things you spend shall be paid back to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.
2.273
(Alms are) for the poor who are confined in the way of Allah-- they cannot go about in the land; the ignorant man thinks them to be rich on account of (their) abstaining (from begging); you can recognise them by their mark; they do not beg from men importunately; and whatever good thing you spend, surely Allah knows it.
Among the questions raised by the group were:
--What does "some" signify in "some of your ill-deeds"?
--What is the significance of the verb "make" in "To make them walk in the right way"?
--Does "...shall be paid back to you in full" refer to monetary repayment?
--What is the significance of the man being described as "ignorant"?
--What is the meaning of "their mark" by which the poor who do not beg can be recognized?
If you attended this meeting, please take the time to use the Comments function to share some of the ideas that we came up with (in connection with the questions cited here, or in connection with other questions).
3 comments:
we said that the use of "some" may signify that *some* good deeds compensate for *some* bad deeds (indicating proportional recompense), and that therefore one may have to earn one's way back into good graces by performing good works. another interpretation may say that the ill-deeds that are not forgiven by good works are forgiven by the grace of God, and thus *no one* may completely atone for one's sins by works alone.
ignorance is used as a foil to righteousness. if men are ignorant, they are not able to recognize those who they must serve, and thus are impeded from completing the will of God. This is significant because the root of much inaction in society today is caused by simple ignorance of the problem; this passage indicates that ignorance is not an excuse.
also, it's interesting to note that the first part of this passage parallels the Gospel of Matthew 6:2-4 :
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
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