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wa-mā manaʿahum ʾan tuqbala minhum nafaqātuhum ʾillā ʾannahum kafarū bi-llāhi wa-bi-rasūlihī wa-lā yaʾtūna ṣ-ṣalāta ʾillā wa-hum kusālā wa-lā yunfiqūna ʾillā wa-hum kārihūna
Nothing stops their charities from being accepted except that they have no faith in Allah and His Apostle and do not perform the prayer but lazily, and do not spend but reluctantly.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah At-Tawbah – Verse 54
54 . “And naught prevented that their spendings should be accepted from them, save that they have disbelieved in Allah and in his Messenger, and they do not perform the prayer but while they are sluggish, and they do not spend but while they are averse.”
In this verse, the Qur’ān explains once more the reason of refusing the expenses of the hypocrites. It says:
Then, any action, which is not done with the belief in Allah, will not be accepted with Him. Thus, the incomes of an Islamic government, comparing with the incomes of other governments, such as Khoms (one fifth levy), alms, and charities, which believing people pay heartily and with a great deal of sincerity, have some peculiarities and privileges as follows:
1. They pay it willingly, based on their own choice and upon their religious conscience.
2. They pay it with no fear, but accompanied by intention with divine motive.
3. They count the financial expendings as some provisions for the Hereafter.
4. They choose a just scholar among jurisprudents to give him their wealth.
5. They usually know how that spending is used and they often control it.
6. The condition of the simple life of the taker of it is considered by them. So, they usually kiss his hand and thank Allah (s.w.t.).
The verse, after mentioning the refusal of the hypocrites’ financial expendings, refers to the situation of their worships. It says:
This is the state of their prayer, then, similar to that, their spending is also done forcedly and with aversion. The verse continues saying:
In fact, their spendings are not accepted for two reasons. One reason is that their action is performed with infidelity and lack of faith; and the second reason is that it is done forcedly and with aversion. Also, their prayer is not accepted for two reasons: the first is their infidelity, and the second is that it is performed sluggishly.