Mujahid said, "تلاوة means اتباع"
Many people think the Quran is mere recitation.
You will be able to recite the Quran properly when you:
1) recitation
2) pondering
The fruit of this is تلاوة -> acting.
If you read a verse which orders you to pray and you pray then your prayer is considered تلاوة.
The Quran says to do such and such, and if you act upon it, this is all considered تلاوة.
They think it only means to articulate the letters right.
"يتلونه حق تلاوته"
Many people understand what's in the Quran yet they don't act upon it.
The right tilawah is to:
1) to permit what it made permissible
2) to avoid what it prohibited
3) recite it as it was revealed
4) don't change the meaning of the verse (don't misinterpret) - Ibn mas'ud
People may intentionally misinterpret the verses and some others are ignorant.
Umar said, "when they come across a verse mentioning mercy they invoke Allah for it, and when they come across a verse mentioning torment they Asked Allah to protect them from it"
This is deduced from the action of the prophet.
Allah said, "اولائك يؤمنون به"
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We need to live the verses we read in the Quran. We need to present ourselves to the Quran. It doesn't have to be actions of our limbs, it can be the actions of our heart.
How will I increase my belief in the Qur'an? When you read more about the descriptions in the Qur'an.
In (10:57):
It is a healing for the sicknesses in our hearts. In the hearts are sicknesses of desires (which prevent a person from submitting to Allah) and doubts (Related to belief).
The Quran is the remedy for these sicknesses.
Many people don't take the Qur'an as a شفاء or don't know how to take it as a cure.
(2:262)
- encouragement -
السبيل الله = in the obedience and for the pleasure of Allah
There are nullifiers of our expenditure.
المن is reminding the people of our generosity. This could be by hint, action or even heart. This will nullify the hundreds of rewards we got.
آذى Harming her by humiliating her because you helped her, looking down upon her.
The reward is not specified in amount. There will be no fear of what they are going to face and they will not grieve.
The angels will give
(2:264)
Whenever Allah starts a verse with يأيها الذين امنوا.
There are three benefits in verses which start with this according to Ibn Uthaymeen:
1) اغرار - enticement, Encouragement, Tempt to accept what is going to accept in that text.
Ibn Mas'ud used to say, "When Allah says يأيها الذين امنوا listen attentively because either there will be good Allah is calling us to or evil Allah is warning us against"
2) Acting on what is in the verse is a requirement of your Eeman. Your faith makes you act upon what is in that verse.
3) Doing contrary to what is in that verse indicates the deficiency in the faith of the person.
Ex.
"يأيها الذين آمنوا اجتنبوا كثير من الظن..."
And if you suspect people then it indicates that the faith in you is deficient.
لا تبطلوا صدقاتكم بالمن و الأذى
This is not restricted to spending money.
When you have a parable focus on the مشبه به (The tangible picture)
We have a smooth rock (صفوان) on which there is dust (تراب). We have heavy rain (وابل) which removed the dust.
The scholars have different interpretations of this parable. One of which, according to As-Sa'di and Ibn Qayyim is:
They said that the smooth rock represents the heart of the منافق or the مرائ whose heart is full of disbelief in Allah and the judgement day.
The dust represents the spending he is doing. No one can see the rock, they can only see the dust.
The وابل represents the harm, the من, the show off. It is the nullifier.
When the nullifier comes on the deed of that person it removes the reward and nothing will remain to benefit the person.
Nobody knows what is in the hypocrites heart of disbelief. He gives charity. The people see the صدقه and see the good deed and think that person is a good person who is generous and charitable. They don't know what is in his heart. They are deceived by the dust that covers his heart.
On the Day of Judgement everything will be exposed, then it will be shown to everybody what kind of person he was. That good did he did won't benefit him on the day of judgement because of the hypocrisy, harm that was in his heart.
The lessons from this parable:
1) Allah is warning us against the wrong movements of our hearts which may nullify our spending like المن، الأذى، الرياء، النفاق.
2) Allah ended the verse with "والله لا يهدي القوم الكافرين" because the منافق is a كافر. He will not guide the كافرين to what benefits them.
3) You will not be rewarded for every time you spend. You need to be in awe and fear that it might be rejected due to these nullifiers.
The person might've spent with sincerity in the beginning and the Shaytan comes after we spend and makes us feel proud or good until we fall into self admiration. The reward will be removed.
Always ask Allah to accept your good deed. Even if the Shaytan comes, whispers in your heart, and adorns how much you to do and give in your heart, then immediately beg Allah to accept your good deed in order to repel the whisper of the Shaytan.
Don't be happy with yourself and listen to what the Shaytan is whispering. Be alert.
When you say this the Shaytan will withdraw and won't come to remind you.
4) المن and الاذى are major sins because they nullify the rewards of the deeds and there is a punishment for it.
(2:265)
This is the category of people who are:
1) ابتغاء مرضات الله Spending seeking the pleasure of Allah alone
2) وتثبيت بأنفسهم. He is truthful. They are sure that if they spend Allah will give them something better in return, they have absolutely no doubt.
Whenever a person intends to spend, He will face two trials (آفة):
a) When he spends he is seeking the praise of the people, fame, worldly gain, etc. Some people spend, for example, because they want it to be increased.
b) When he spends he will face hesitance from himself. This is due to weakness in the self.
Some people may delay spending and will not be able to give in the future.
He can overcome the trials by sincerity and reminding as well as encouraging himself of the rewards for spending in the hereafter. If he overcomes these two, his likeness will be the people who are in this verse.
The مشبه به:
We have a garden (جنة) on a height (ربوة) and heavy rain (وابل) and light rain (طل).
A garden on a high place is the best garden. It is exposed to the sun, there is air coming in it all the time and the rain. The product of this garden will be of the best kind.
The scholars differed in the interpretation of this again. Ibn Qayyim said:
The garden is the reward/impact of the spending. The وابل is the spending itself. There are people who give abundant spending and some people who give less, everyone gives according to their situation.
Whoever gives as a heavy rain it will double the yield of harvest. The reward will be double.
If it was just a little it will be accepted and still suffice. The garden will still give fruit because the land is good, fertile land.
Ibn Uthaymeen said the جنة is an example of the person or his nafaqah.
وابل depends on the person. It could be the perfect strong Eeman, when he spends, the yield will be more than the person who believes in Allah.
Ex. The Sahabah and us. Because of their strong Eeman, the little sadaqah they gave has more reward than our charity.
As you give more with Eeman, sincerity and assured faith, as you will get abundant reward with Allah.
(2:267)
يأيها الذين آمنوا أنفقوا من طيبات ما كسبتم و مما اخر جنا لكم من الارض
Again, Allah says يأيها الذين امنوا. We need to listen attentively.
Allah is putting a condition here: We have to spend from the good pure halal earning.
Allah is طيب and does not accept except that which is طيب.
Allah is advising us.
و لا تيمموا الخبيث منه تنفقون
التيمم means القصد (to aim/ to intend)
Don't take the bad and give out for charity which you yourself don't want or like.
When people give clothes for example in charity they give dirty, not nice clothes. Do you like this for yourself? Then how can you like it for Allah.
You would close your eyes and take it because you don't like it and overlook it's deficiencies. How can you give this for the sake of Allah?
The charity you give should be good, pure, lawful.
There are people who are dealing with banks that have interest think that if they can take the interest and give it in charity. This is dirty money and you will not get reward for it.
Ibn Baz said it is better for it to not be used by humans. Use it to fix the road or toilets, etc.
Allah says it's خبيث. It should be from the lawful, good, pure, product.
People give expired food as charity. If you yourself don't take it, then how can you give it to the people?
The story of Habil and Qabil. One, Allah considered him of the pious because he gave the best of what he had.
Allah prohibits us to spend from evil and dishonest money.
واعلموا ان الله الغني الحميد
Allah is not in need of what you are giving. He is rich and worthy of all praise. His richness and praise makes him not accept the bad and deficient one.
Allah tells us a fact in 270-272:
Whatever you spend or vow then Allah knows.
If you spend openly that's okay with Allah. Sometimes you are in a situation where you have to give it publicly. Don't think that when you spend publicly your reward will not be there. But if you pay it secretly and give it the poor that is better for you and even more rewarding. When you conceal your charity you will not embarrass the poor and it is more sincere.
It is not upon you the guidance. Allah is the one who guides the people to spend, not spend.
Whatever you spend is good for you. Allah is emphasising again that we will benefit.
Whatever you spend you will pay in full and you will not be wronged at all. This consists of advice and exhortation.
The word تنفقوا is repeated in order to make the good in you grow. Allah is encouraging us to spend.
274:
Those who spend their money day and night, secretly and publicly, they will have their reward, no fear and no grief. Allah is repeating these matters over and over again. Allah will take care of you, there will be no fear in the future and no grief for what you left behind.