Tafseer of The Night Journey · Al-Israa · 17:100
Say [to them], "If you possessed the depositories of the mercy of my Lord, then you would withhold out of fear of spending." And ever has man been stingy.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The Exalted, whose praise is mentioned, says to His Prophet: say, O Muḥammad, to these polytheists (mushrikīn): if you, O people, were to possess the storehouses of the possessions of my Lord in riches — and by "the mercy" (al-raḥma) in this place wealth is intended — إِذًا لأَمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الإنْفَاقِ (then you would surely withhold it for fear of spending). He says: then you would surely be miserly with it and not give it generously to others, out of fear of spending and of falling into poverty.
As al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning إِذًا لأَمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الإنْفَاقِ (then you would surely withhold it for fear of spending), he said: poverty.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: خَشْيَةَ الإنْفَاقِ (for fear of spending), that is to say: out of fear of destitution.
Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda, something similar.
And His statement وَكَانَ الإنْسَانُ قَتُورًا (and man is niggardly) — He says: and man is miserly and withholding.
As ʿAlī related to me, he said: ʿAbd Allāh related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement وَكَانَ الإنْسَانُ قَتُورًا (and man is niggardly), he says: miserly.
Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning His statement وَكَانَ الإنْسَانُ قَتُورًا (and man is niggardly), he said: miserly.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَكَانَ الإنْسَانُ قَتُورًا (and man is niggardly), he said: miserly and withholding.
And concerning qatūr (niggardly), there exist in the language of the Arabs four forms: one says "qatara fulān yaqtur" and "yaqtir," and "qattara yuqattir," and "aqtara yuqtir," as Abū Duwād said:
"I do not reckon falling into poverty as loss, but / the loss of him whom I have lost is the true ruin."
