A concise reflection on the Qur'an's miraculous eloquence regarding “And they spend out of what We have bestowed on them”
As-salāmu ʿalaykum - a shorter reflection on the 25th Word from the Risale-i Nur by Said Nursi (ra): وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ A meaning: And they spend [in Allah’s way] out of what We have bestowed on them as sustenance. This short phrase actually points to five conditions that make giving charity acceptable. 1) First: Give only what won’t leave you needing charity yourself. The phrase “out of” (out of what) shows this idea of giving from what remains, not so much that it causes the giver to become needy. 2) Second: Give from your own provision, not by taking from others to give. “We have bestowed on them as sustenance” implies: give from the sustenance that is yours. 3) Third: Don’t make the recipient feel indebted to you. The “We” in “We have bestowed on them” reminds us that the provision is from Allah, so when you give some of His blessing to another, you shouldn’t impose obligations on them. 4) Fourth: Give to someone who will use it responsibly for their livelihood. The word “spend” points to the idea that charity should go to those who will use it properly; giving to someone who will waste it isn’t encouraged. 5) Fifth: Give in Allah’s name. Saying the provision is from Allah indicates the correct intention: the wealth belongs to Him, and charity should be given for His sake. These five points can be expanded. The form charity takes may vary: it can be spending on basic needs, supporting someone’s learning, giving useful words, helping through actions, or sincere advice. The general word “what” in “out of what” covers these different kinds of giving. Also, the phrase’s general and absolute wording opens a wide horizon of meaning. The arrangement of words in the sentence carries many layers; likewise the order and relationship between words reveal a broad semantic field. May Allah grant us to give with the right conditions and sincere intentions. JazakAllahu khayran for reading.