Tafseer of The Iron · Al-Hadid · 57:10
And why do you not spend in the cause of Allah while to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth? Not equal among you are those who spent before the conquest [of Makkah] and fought [and those who did so after it]. Those are greater in degree than they who spent afterwards and fought. But to all Allah has promised the best [reward]. And Allah, with what you do, is Acquainted.
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.
He, exalted is His mention, says: and what is the matter with you, O people, that you do not spend of that with which Allah has provided you in the way of Allah, while your possessions will return to Allah if you do not spend them in the way of Allah during your lifetime? For to Him belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth. He — praised be His praise — has only urged them to this for their own benefit, and said to them: spend your possessions in the way of Allah, so that it may be a treasure for you with Allah, before you die and are no longer able to do so, and your possessions become an inheritance for Him to whom the heavens and the earth belong.
His statement: لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ (Not equal among you is he who spent before the conquest and fought).
The scholars of exegesis differed concerning its interpretation. Some of them said: its meaning is: not equal among you, O people, is he who believed before the conquest of Mecca and emigrated (performed the hijra).
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement: لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ — he said: he believed and spent; he says: he who emigrated is not like he who did not emigrate.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of Mujāhid: لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ — he says: he who believed. He (Mihrān) said: Sufyān related to us, saying: something other than that is also said.
Others said: by the conquest is meant the conquest of Mecca, and by the spending: spending in the jihād against the polytheists (mushrikīn).
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ أُولَئِكَ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ بَعْدُ وَقَاتَلُوا وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى (Not equal among you is he who spent before the conquest and fought; these are greater in rank than those who spent afterward and fought, and to all Allah has promised the best) — he said: there were two kinds of fighting, one of which was more excellent than the other, and there were two kinds of spending, one of which was more excellent than the other: the spending and the fighting before the conquest — "the conquest of Mecca" — were more excellent than the spending and the fighting after it.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ (before the conquest) — he said: the conquest of Mecca.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAyyāsh informed me, saying: Zayd ibn Aslam said concerning this verse: لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ — he said: the conquest of Mecca.
Others said: by the conquest, in this place, is meant the treaty of al-Ḥudaybiya.
* Mention of who said that:
Isḥāq ibn Shāhīn related to me, saying: Khālid ibn ʿAbd Allāh related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd, on the authority of ʿĀmir, who said: the distinction between the two emigrations (hijras) is the conquest of al-Ḥudaybiya; He, exalted is His mention, says: لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ... — the verse.
Ḥumayd ibn Masʿada related to me, saying: Bishr ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of ʿĀmir, concerning this verse, His statement: لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ — he said: the conquest of al-Ḥudaybiya; he said: "the distinction between the two ʿumras is the conquest of al-Ḥudaybiya".
Ibn al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb related to us, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of ʿĀmir, who said: "the distinction between the two emigrations is the conquest of al-Ḥudaybiya". And there was revealed: لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ ... up to وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ (and Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do). They said: O Messenger of Allah, is that a conquest? He said: "Yes, a mighty one."
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of ʿĀmir, who said: "the distinction between the two emigrations is the conquest of al-Ḥudaybiya"; then he recited here the verse: لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ ... the verse.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Hishām ibn Saʿd informed me, on the authority of Zayd ibn Aslam, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, on the authority of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, who said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to us in the year of al-Ḥudaybiya: "It is near that a people will come whose deeds will make you regard your own deeds as small." We said: who are they, O Messenger of Allah, are they the Quraysh? He said: "No, but they are the people of Yemen, softer of heart and gentler of disposition." We said: are they better than us, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "If one of them possessed a mountain of gold and spent it, he would not equal the mudd of one of you, nor even the half of it. Indeed, this is the distinction between us and the people", لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ ... the verse, up to His statement: وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ.
Ibn al-Barqī related to me, saying: Ibn Abī Maryam related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Zayd ibn Aslam informed me, on the authority of Abū Saʿīd al-Tammār, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "It is near that a people will come whose deeds will make you regard your own deeds as small." We said: who are they, O Messenger of Allah, are they the Quraysh? He said: "No, they are softer of heart and gentler of disposition", and he gestured with his hand toward Yemen and said: "They are the people of Yemen; indeed, faith is Yemeni and wisdom is Yemeni." We said: O Messenger of Allah, are they better than us? He said: "By Him in whose hand is my soul, if one of them possessed a mountain of gold which he would spend, he would not equal the mudd of one of you, nor even the half of it." Then he joined his fingers together and extended his little finger and said: "Indeed, this is the distinction between us and the people", لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ أُولَئِكَ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ بَعْدُ وَقَاتَلُوا وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى.
And the correct judgment concerning this, in my view, is to say: its meaning is: not equal among you, O people, is he who spent in the way of Allah before the conquest of al-Ḥudaybiya — because of the report which we have mentioned concerning the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, which we have related from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī from him — and fought the polytheists, with him who spent and fought afterward. He omitted the mention of him who spent and fought afterward, because the indication in the cited text was sufficient to dispense with mentioning it. أُولَئِكَ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ بَعْدُ وَقَاتَلُوا (these are greater in rank than those who spent afterward and fought) — He, exalted is His mention, says: these who spent in the way of Allah before the conquest of al-Ḥudaybiya and fought the polytheists are greater in rank in Paradise with Allah than those who spent afterward and fought.
His statement: وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى (and to all Allah has promised the best) — He, exalted is His mention, says: and to all of these who spent and fought before the conquest, and those who spent and fought afterward, Allah has promised Paradise because of their spending in His way and their fighting against His enemies.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the scholars of exegesis spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ بَعْدُ وَقَاتَلُوا وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى — he said: Paradise.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى — he said: Paradise.
His statement: وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ (and Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do) — He, exalted is His mention, says: and Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do in spending in the way of Allah, and fighting against His enemies, and the rest of your deeds which you perform; nothing of that is hidden from Him, and He will requite you for all of that on the Day of Resurrection.
