O You Who Believe

77)

"O believers! When you consult the Messenger privately, give something in charity before your consultation. That is better and purer for you. But if you lack the means, then Allah is truly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful"

[Al-Mujadilah 58:12]

Allah commanded His believing servants, when any of them wanted to speak with Allah's Messenger in secret, to give away charity beforehand so that his charity cleanses and purifies him and makes him worthy of having a private counsel with the Prophet.

According to Abdullah bin Abbas, this command was sent down because the Muslims had started requesting the Prophet (peace be upon him) for private counsel much too frequently, and this put him to great inconvenience. At last, Allah willed to relieve His Prophet (peace be upon him) of this burden. (Ibn Jarir).

Zaid bin Aslam says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would never turn down the request of anyone, who wanted to consult him in private. Whoever desired to have private counsel with him, he would oblige him. Often it so happened that the people would ask for private counsel in matters in which there was no real need. This was the time when all of Arabia was engaged in war against Al-Madinah. Sometimes, after a person had made such a request, Satan would whisper into the ears of the people the idea that he had brought to the Prophet (peace be upon him) the news of invasion by such and such tribes, and this would cause rumors to spread in Al-Madinah. On the other hand, this would give the hypocrites an opportunity to say that Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) was a credulous person, who listened to and believed in whatever anyone told him. Because of this Allah imposed the restriction that anyone who wanted to have private counsel with the Prophet should first give away something in charity.

Qatadah said some people talked to Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) in secret counsel to show their superiority to others.

Ali (R.A) says when this was enjoined, Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) asked him, What should be the quantity of the charity, should it be one dinar. I said: This is more than the people can afford. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then asked: Should it be half a dinar. I said: This is also too much. Then he asked what it should be. I said: Gold equal to a barley grain. The Prophet (peace be upon him) remarked: Your advice is for too little. (Ibn Jarir)

In another tradition Ali (R.A) says: This is a verse of the Quran which no one acted upon except me. As soon as it was enjoined, I offered the charity and consulted the Prophet about a problem. (Ibn Jarir)

Allah withheld this command from the deprived people by commanding this to only those who are financially able to give this type of charity.

Ali (R.A) reported from Abbas (R.A) that 'The Muslims kept asking Allah's Messenger questions until it became difficult on him. Allah wanted to lighten the burden from His Prophet, upon him be peace. So when He said this, many Muslims were afraid to pay this charity and stopped asking.'

Allah then sent down this verse:

"Are you afraid of spending in charity before your private consultation? If then you do it not, and Allah has forgiven you, then perform Salah and give Zakah) Thus Allah made things easy and lenient for them."

[Al-Mujadilah 58:13]

In this way, Allah abrogated the command and made things easy and lenient for the believers.

Sa'id bin Abi 'Arubah reported from Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan, "People kept questioning Allah's Messenger until they made things difficult for him. Allah provided a way to stop their behavior by this Ayah. One of them would need to speak to Allah's Prophet about a real matter, but could not do so until he gave in charity. This became hard on people and Allah sent down relief from this requirement afterwards.

Allah also stated about His leneancy in the above verse by saying that those who are unable to pay, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful towards them i.e they don't have to pay charity. Hence Allah didn't burdenize anyone by this verse as the believers were given the choice to give charity or to not based on their wealth. The true believers considered this a duty on themselves but they lacked the means to pay charity hence they felt troubled. Due to this trouble, Allah abrogated the command because Allah knows the intentions of the hearts.

Ma'mar reported from Qatadah that this Ayah was abrogated after being effect for only one hour of a day. 'Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Mujahid said that 'Ali said, "No one except me implemented this Ayah, until it was abrogated,'' and he was reported to have said that it remained in effect for merely an hour.

The point to note in this verse is the divine knowledge that paying charity is purer and better for us, as Allah says.

Hence for those who don't lack this means, they should pay charity frequently as it cleanses the soul and makes barakah in wealth.

Things we learnt:

> To ease the inconveniences that Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) faced, Allah sent down the command of paying charity before consulting with him privately.

> Allah informs the believers that charity cleanses the soul and is better for the believers.

> This command was soon abrogated when the believers found it hard to counsel with Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) due to the charity.

> This command also demotivated the hypocrites who caused much inconvenience to Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) by calling him on counsels due to no real reason.

> But due to the trouble the believers felt, Allah abrogated this verse and limited it to only salah and zakaat i.e. if believers keep up with their prayers and zakaat, they don't have to give the charity or be troubled by it as Allah is truly Merciful and ever Forgiving.

May Allah guide us to the right path.
Ameen.

Wama alayna illal balaghul mubeen.