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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.

commentary:
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, khoms (one fifth levy), and other
obligatory expendings.

" satan threatens you with poverty ..."

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:

"... and enjoins you to indecency; ..."

therefore, having awe of poverty and indigency 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 dispostion, results to a notable livelihood,
peacefulness and prosperity.

"...but allah promises you forgiveness from himself and abundance..."

in majma`-ul-bayan a tradition is narrated about charity from
imam sadiq (a.s.) 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.
1
it is interesting that iman amir-ul-mu'mineen ali (a.s.) 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)."
2

the phrase:
" allah is all-embracing " means that the power of
allah is vast, and he is all-knowing unto all affairs and details.


1 majma`-ul-bayan, vol. 2, p. 381
2 nahjul-balaqah, saying 258