Translation:
Do any of you like this scenario: You have a garden of fruit with a water stream flowing through and with all kinds of fruit around. Then you reach old age, your offspring are still young and weak, and suddenly a storm hits the garden and reduces everything to ashes. This way God makes the message clear so that you may reflect (take action in time).145
O people of faith, spend the good part of what you earn and what We (God) bring out for you (e.g., harvest and natural resources) from the earth. Do not try to spend lesser quality items for others while you would not take it without dislike. Know that God is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.146
It is the Devil that puts in you the fear of poverty and connives to make you niggardly while God promises forgiveness from Himself and abundance. God is indeed Ample- Giving, Knowing! He grants wisdom to whomever He wishes, and whoever receives this wisdom indeed receives ample goodness. Nobody can appreciate (such wisdom) except for those who seriously and sincerely try to understand.147
Interpretation:
145 Charity should be considered a form of gratitude to God for His blessings to the people with means and resources, and one should realize that God can easily put him in the worst condition if he feels secure in his wealth and means. One should take advantage of charity while he is capable of making such contributions, recognizing that there is no guarantee of a secure livelihood or life itself.
146 Charity should also be wholesome and be given with pure intentions. Charity should consist of worthy items, not things you would not use yourselves. Unlike other religious books, the Qur’an goes into the innermost aspect of the human soul and its intents and failings so that we can be properly guided and have no excuse in front of God for not having been reminded.
147 The lack of charitable intents or acts is attributed to the Devil and reflects our inhuman and ungodly instincts, whereas charity itself is considered an act of wisdom and godly instincts. Understanding the true intent of charity is also considered to be a source of wisdom for us and a source of blessing for those who attain and exercise such wisdom. Wisdom comes from formal and informal education and personal reflection, and it is very important to understand that education is the key to our development and well-being. Is it not ironic that Muslims today as a group are the least educated and economically worst off in the world? Is it not time that our communities rise to educate our children and adults and make it a personal, familial,
communal, national, and global priority?
Reflection:
These are a continuation of verses encouraging charity and gift giving for people of faith. Being generous is an act of God, while being niggardly is regarded as an act of evil propagated by the Devil himself. And who should we try to emulate— God or the Devil? The answer is abundantly clear for those who reflect on and understand Islam’s message and who have the wisdom of life. Understanding the true purpose of life through deliberate and sustained reflection, reading, and knowledge gathering is very important, and it is a blessing from God who can achieve such understanding. Even so, this level of understanding is not the objective in itself; rather, it is a driver to propel us to action for the benefit of ourselves and those we care about.
Action:
We need to reflect on charity as a serious issue and begin to exercise charity even on a small scale, first personally and then as collective institutions. A formal and informal education is the true indicator of human well-being, and it is time to improve education in all Muslim countries. As God indicated in these verses, wisdom and an understanding of our purpose in life are really the beginning of a meaningful journey through life.