And when he invalidated their doubt with its two branches concerning the different individuals, he brought that closer with one proof in one person and said: "Say" O most honorable of creation, to these ignorant ones who think that provision is according to the goodness of striving and its ugliness or the goodness of a person's state with Allah and its ugliness: "Indeed, my Lord" [meaning] the One who is gracious to me with this miraculous statement "extends provision" meaning whenever He wills "to whom He wills of His servants" meaning in a manner of continuous renewal from whichever group it may be. "And restricts for him" meaning He constricts upon him in two successive states, while He is in one attribute upon one action. If honor and favor necessitated permanence, his state would not change from abundance to constriction, and if he had the ability to benefit himself, his state would not differ.

And when this elaboration made clear that his action is by choice after he clarified at first their lies in that it is a cause for safety from the Fire, it indicated that he is the doer and no one else by his saying: ﴿And whatever you spend of anything﴾ meaning you and your opponents and others ﴿He will replace it﴾ (p-518) meaning no one else, as evidence that the spender may strive with all his effort in seeking a replacement and still not spend. This indicates that he is the one specifically responsible for the replacement. This is the meaning, not that it is included in the replacement for everyone who spends in any manner. Mujahid said, as al-Razi narrated in al-Lawami': "If one of you has something in his hand, let him be moderate and not interpret the verse, for provision is apportioned, and he who is moderate will not suffer." This was narrated by al-Tabarani from Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, as a raised narration. The meaning is that the replacement has indicated all forms and opposites, that the matter in it is not as you thought of being a provision at a time necessitating honor continuously, and that this is only for the guarantee of provision for everyone according to what He has apportioned for him based on what His knowledge, ability, and wisdom preceded. Sometimes His replacement is tangible and by action, and sometimes it is a meaning and by power, with contentment in that situation which led to absence. Al-Qushayri said: It is more complete than joy in what exists, and from that is the intimacy with Allah in solitude, and that cannot be except with sincerity. It has ended. And the spender with moderation is included, if Allah wills, under His saying, blessings and peace be upon him, in what was narrated by the two Shaykhs: al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: Allah, the Exalted, said: "Spend, and I will spend on you." And what the two Shaykhs and Ibn Hibban also narrated in their authentic reports: "There is no day in which the servants rise except that two angels descend, and one of them says: O Allah, give a replacement to the one who spends, and the other says: O Allah, give destruction to the one who withholds." So He is the best of the expanders ﴿and He is the best of providers﴾ meaning those whom you count in this count among those He, glorified and exalted is He, establishes for you, so you attribute the provision to them. For they are intermediaries who can only do what He has decreed for them. As for Him, glorified and exalted is He, He creates the nonexistent and provides for those who obey Him and those who disobey Him. His provision does not narrow for anyone, nor does anyone occupy Him in it from anyone else. Rather, He sends for everyone his provision each day at the same time as He spreads His light upon them with the sun at the same time without stopping that for anything other than what His knowledge had preceded in eternity.