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ash-shayṭānu yaʿidukumu l-faqra wa-yaʾmurukum bi-l-faḥshāʾi wa-llāhu yaʿidukum maghfiratan minhu wa-faḍlan wa-llāhu wāsiʿun ʿalīmun
Satan frightens you of poverty and prompts you to [commit] indecent acts. But Allah promises you His forgiveness and bounty, and Allah is all-bounteous, all-knowing.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 268
268. Satan threatens you with poverty and enjoins you to indecency; but Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and abundance; and Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.
At first, the verse admonishes that when you decide to spend in charity or to pay your alms, Satan threatens you of poverty, particularly if you want to give from your worthy and considerable things mentioned in the previous verse. Many a time it happens that this Satanic temptation hinders the act of giving charity and donation. It may affect even on the payment of Alms, Khums (one fifth levy), and other obligatory expending.
Allah awares man thereby that refraining from giving charity in awe of poverty is a wrong imagination. It is one of the temptations of Satan. Avoiding from thinking that this Satanic temptation looks like a logical scare, it immediately says:
Therefore, having awe of poverty and indigence in any condition is wrong, because Satan invites not save to falsehood and aberration. Basically, any thought which is disappointing, impedimental and short-sighted originates from deviation from natural disposition and following the temptations of Satan. But, any thought which is positive, instructive, and broad-sighted comes from the source of godly inspirations and the pure divine innate disposition.
Keeping in mind that the Satanic temptations are against the law of creation and Allah's commandments and ordinances are paralleled and adapted to creation and disposition, results to a notable livelihood, peacefulness and prosperity.
In Majma'-ul-Bayan a tradition is narrated about charity from Imam Sadiq (as) who said:
"Two things are from Allah and two things are from Satan. Those two from Allah are forgiveness of sins and abundance in sustenance. And those two from Satan are promise to poverty and enjoinment to indecency."
Therefore, as Ibn-Abbas has quoted, the purpose of forgiveness is the forgiveness of sins and the objective meaning of "abundance" is increase of wealth under the cause of giving charity. 3It is interesting that Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) is narrated who has said:
"When you are confronted with poverty, bargain with Allah through charity, (spend out in charity until you get free from poverty)," 4
The phrase: "Allah is All-Embracing" means that the Power of Allah is vast, and He is All-Knowing unto all affairs and details.
Footnotes