Al-Baqarah · Madani · ayah 263 of 286

Al-Baqarah 2:263

۞ قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوفٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن صَدَقَةٍ يَتْبَعُهَآ أَذًى ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَنِىٌّ حَلِيمٌ

“Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allāh is Free of need and Forbearing.”

Saheeh International

Essence

A kind word and a forgiving silence are better than charity that wounds; Allah needs no one's gift, and holds back from punishing.

A reflection

The lights still turn green for him

A learner driver stalls at the lights. The man behind leans on his horn and mouths something ugly. He has not prayed in weeks. The lights turn green for him anyway, and he drives on.

The ayah closes with two names, and both are aimed at the giver who wounds. Ghaniyy: Allah is free of need. A concise commentary specifies: free of need of His servants' charity. A classical commentator adds why He commands it at all: only so He can reward you for it. Ḥalīm: He does not hurry to punish. Two classical commentators note that here the name carries displeasure, and a warning. He has not yet punished the one who reminds and hurts. That is His restraint, not His approval.

Now the ego is caught from two sides. First, the wounding giver imagines himself indispensable. The poor need me, so they can put up with my tone. But Allah is Ghaniyy. He does not need your money to feed His servants. He could have fed them through anyone. Your gift was a privilege He let you carry.

Second, the wounding giver is impatient with the needy: their asking, their timing, their persistence. Yet he himself lives on Allah's patience every day. Ḥilm is a self held steady against the surge of anger. How many times has Allah held steady with us?

Someone may ask whether a God who calls Himself rich and forbearing is praising Himself. But the names are spoken here to correct us, not to flatter Him. He gains nothing from either. They are a mirror held up to a proud giver.

The man with the horn should notice the green light. It is mercy given to an impatient man.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.