Those who came to the city and to faith before them, love those who take refuge with them, and do not feel for themselves any need for what is given them, and give them preference over themselves even if they are indigent. Whoever preserves himself from his own greed will be prosperous.
9
Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : then the prophet (pbuh) to the helpers (al-ansar): “these spoils and gardens are solely for the poor among the emigrants. if you wish, i will divide your wealth and properties on the emigrants and give you a share of the spoils, or you keep your wealth and properties and i divide the spoils on the poor among the emigrants”. they said: “o messenger of allah, we would like to share our wealth and properties with them and we will also prefer them over ourselves and let them have the spoils”. allah praised them for this by saying: (those who entered the city) those who made it possible for the prophet (pbuh) and his companions to live in the abode of migration (and the faith before them) and were believers before the immigrants came to them (love these who flee unto them for refuge) in medina from among the companions of the prophet (pbuh) (and find in their breasts) in their hearts (no need) no resentful envy; and it is said this means: no vexation (for that which hath been given them) of spoils, while they did not get any, (but prefer (the fugitives) above themselves) with their wealth and homes (though poverty become their lot. and whoso is saved from his own avarice) and whoever drives away avarice from his own self (such are they who are successful) such are they who are saved from allah's wrath and chastisement.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : and those who had settled in the hometown, that is, medina, and [had abided] in faith, that is to say, [those who] had embraced it with enthusiasm — these being the helpers, before them, love those who have emigrated to them, and do not find in their breasts any need, any envy, of that which those [others] have been given, that is to say, of what the prophet (s) had given the emigrants from the [seized] possessions of the banū al-nadīr, [a share which was] exclusively theirs; but prefer [others] to themselves, though they be in poverty, in need of that which they prefer for [those] others [to have]. and whoever is saved from the avarice of his own soul, its covetousness for [acquiring] possessions, those — they are the successful.
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (those who entered the city and the faith before them…) [59:9].
ja‘far ibn burqan related that yazid al-asamm said: “the helpers said: ‘o messenger of allah, divide the land into two equal halves between us and the emigrants’. he said: ‘no, they will suffice you their livelihood. instead you will share the fruits of the land with them while keeping the land itself to yourselves’. they said: ‘we accept’, and so allah, exalted is he, revealed (those who entered the city and the faith before them…)”.
(… but prefer (the fugitives) above themselves though poverty become their lot…) [59:9].
sa‘id ibn ahmad ibn ja‘far al-mu’adhdhin informed us> abu ‘ali al-faqih> muhammad ibn mansur ibn abi al-jahm al-sabi‘i> nasr ibn ‘ali al-jahdami> ‘abd allah ibn dawud> fudayl ibn ghazwan> abu hazim> abu hurayrah who related that the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, entrusted one of the folk of the platform (al-suffah) to a man from the helpers. the latter took the former to his family and asked his wife: “do we have anything [to feed him]?” she said: “we do not have anything except the children’s food”. he said: “put them to sleep and then bring me the food. and when you put the food down, turn the lamp off”. she did as her husband requested. the helper offered what he had to his guest. the following morning he took him back to the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace. the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, said: “indeed, the dwellers of the heavens are amazed at what you two have done”. this verse was then revealed (… but prefer (the fugitives) above themselves though poverty become their lot…). this was narrated by bukhari> musaddid> ‘abd allah ibn dawud, and also by muslim> abu kurayb> waki‘, and both ibn dawud and waki‘ related it from fudayl ibn ghazwan.
abu ‘abd allah ibn ishaq al-muzakki informed us> abu’l-hasan muhammad ibn ‘abd allah al-sulayti> abu’l-‘abbas ibn ‘isa ibn muhammad al-marwazi> al-mustajir ibn al-salt> al-qasim ibn al-hakam al-‘urani> ‘ubayd allah ibn al-walid> muharib ibn dithar> ‘abd allah ibn ‘umar who said: “one of the companions of the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, was gifted a sheep’s head. the man said [to himself]: ‘my brother so-and-so is more in need of it than i’, and he sent it to him. this sheep’s head was sent from one person to another — it was handled by seven households — until it returned to the first man who was gifted it in the first place. this verse (… but prefer (the fugitives) above themselves though poverty become their lot…), up to the end, was revealed about this”.
Sahl al-Tustari
تفسير : …they give preference to others over themselves, even if they be in poverty (khaṣāṣa)… he said:that is, in hunger (majāʿa) and poverty (faqr). the arabs say a person is makhṣūṣ when he is poor (faqīr). thus they gave preference to the good pleasure of god over their own desires. the act of giving preference to others over yourself (īthār) is the testimony (shāhid) of love.the saying has been related from wuhayb b. al-ward: ‘god, exalted is he, says, “by my might, greatness and majesty, there is no servant who gives preference to my desire over his own desire, without my decreasing his worries, returning to him what he has lost, removing want from his heart, placing richness before his eyes, and trading in his interest through every trader. and by my might and majesty, there is no servant who gives preference to his own desire over my desire, without my increasing his worries, keeping him at a distance from what he has lost, removing richness from his heart and placing poverty before his eyes, and then i care not in which valley he may perish.”’ his words, exalted is he:
…whoever is saved from the avarice (shuḥḥ) of his own soul — they are the successful.he said:that is, he who is saved from the covetousness (ḥirṣ) of his self and its miserliness (bakhl) in everything except god and his remembrance, will abide with god, enjoying a good life, a good life.his words, exalted is he:
