Bismillāh
الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Shaytan promises you poverty and urges you to immorality; but Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and grace, and Allah is Ample-giving, All-knowing.
Sūrat al-Baqarah, No. 2, Āyat 268
In verse 267 of this Sūrah, Allah addresses what we give in charity. We should offer what we love and value, and desist from giving away things we would not want for ourselves. The verse explains that it is Shaytan who tempts people to give disliked or inferior items in charity by making the quality goods seem too valuable to part with. That which is good and liked makes a person feel wealthy and happy to possess. Consequently, losing it through charity seems a difficult loss to bear. Shaytan exploits this by presenting charity as an economic loss for the giver. In his quest to afflict human beings with spiritual diseases, the threat of material loss serves as an easy strategy; because most people are naturally inclined toward material gain, this tactic works well to turn them away from true generosity.
The word “promise” in this verse is an ironic expression. Usually, a promise implies something positive. The “promise of poverty” by Shaytan, however, is not a promise of something to be appreciated. A similar rhetorical strategy can be seen in the use of the word bashārah, which literally means “good news.” Paradoxically, it is used at times in the Quran to announce punishment for the polytheists and disbelievers: give them tidings of a painful punishment. This phrase is used multiple times throughout the Quran.
Withholding charity of good things breeds the trait of miserliness in the soul. This leads to the disobedience of Allah, especially regarding the divine rules governing wealth and property. It also results in a severe loss for the poor, who are deprived of quality goods or wealth they could have otherwise received. This deprivation, in turn, harms society as a whole, paving the way for poverty, depression, and crime. Hence, we see a direct link between stinginess and societal immorality. While generosity is considered by many societies to be the very essence of virtue and righteousness, its opposite, miserliness, stands as a clear contradiction to this beautiful human quality.
The promise of Allah is clear. He will reward the giver of sincere charity with rewards that endure eternally. It is ultimately up to the individual to decide whether they will follow the whispers of Shaytan, who instills a constant fear of loss, or place their faith in the promise of Allah, who grants long-lasting returns. The promise of Allah is heavily emphasized by His divine names at the end of the verse. He is Ample-giving. It is effortless for Him to provide, as He possesses absolute abundance. He is also All-Knowing. Nothing escapes His awareness. What He promises you is according to His infinite knowledge of what you give and what you truly deserve in return.
May the Almighty help us to be from those who make the right choice when giving in the way of Allah.
Sources: ‘Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān. Ayatullah Javadi Amuli, Tafsīr Tasnīm.