Imam al-Qushayri on ‘Unless You Give of What You Love’ – Abdur Rahman’s Corner
Peace, one and all…
During Ramadan, I try to read a specific portion of the Quran. I try to read it, and read the available commentaries on verses that stand out. This year I aim to read Juz 3 to 5. The first ayah of this section really stood out, and has stayed with me during the rest of Ramadan. Related issues have emerged in recent sohbets and so it feels important to explore this verse more fully. To do this properly, and in order to live with this ayah more fully, I wanted to share relevant passages from some important commentators (mufassirun).
‘None of you will attain true piety (al-birr) unless you give (mimma) out of what you cherish: whatever you give, God knows about it very well’ (Quran 3:92)
In his beautiful tafsir, Imam al-Qushayri offers some thought-provoking comments:
‘You will not attain piety (birr) until you expend of what (mimmā = min mā) you love; and whatever thing you expend, God knows of it’
When the object of seeking is piety and goodness (birr), [the preposition] the noun birr refers to dutiful but generous and ample acts of goodness and kindness. Min is used, which is [the particle of speech] for dividing something into
portions. He said, “of what (mimmā = min mā) you love.” Whoever desires piety and goodness (birr) should expend some portion of what he loves, while whoever desires the One who is All-Goodness (al-bārr) should expend everything he loves. Whoever expends what he loves in this world will find what he seeks from the Real, most high. Whoever is attached to the fortunes of the lower self (man kāna marbūṭan bi-uẓūẓi nafsihi) will not find fortune in nearness to his Lord (lam yaḥaẓẓu bi-qurbi rabbihi).
It is said that if you can only attain piety and goodness (birr) by expending what you love, how will you ever reach the One who is All-Goodness (al-bārr) so long as you prefer your worldly fortunes to Him? And whatever thing you expend, God knows of it. There are those who expend looking for reward and compensation, those who expend looking to defend themselves from affliction and tribulations, and those who expend content with His knowing. One of them said:
‘He wishes to walk in a weak way
so that she might,
when she hears of his suffering,
send a message to him.
He trembles because of what has become known
in seeking the sublime,
that his qualities might be mentioned
one day before Salmā’
Taken from Imam al-Qushayri’s Lata’if al-Isharat
