Tafsir for verse: 42:27
۞ وَلَوۡ بَسَطَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِعِبَادِهِۦ لَبَغَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَٰكِن يُنَزِّلُ بِقَدَرٖ مَّا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِعِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرُۢ بَصِيرٞ ٢٧ ﴿27
27Should Allah expand the provision for His servants (to its full extent), they would spread mischief on earth; but He sends down what He wills in (due) measure. Surely, with regard to His slaves, He is All-Aware, Ever-Watchful.
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Commentary

They have transgressed from transgression, which is injustice. That is: one has transgressed against the other, and that one against this one. This is because wealth leads to arrogance and pride. The state of Qarun is enough of a lesson. And from his saying, blessings and peace be upon him: "The thing I fear most for my nation is the allure of this world and its abundance." It was narrated by al-Tabari from the narration of Sa'id from Qatadah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, mentioned this, and added: "And it was said that the best provision is that which does not lead you to arrogance or distraction." In the two Sahihs from the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, it is stated: "Indeed, the thing I fear most for you is what will be opened to you from the allure of this world." And for some of the Arabs: "And the wasmi has begun to grow between us... and between the Banu Roman, a naba and shuhat." It is narrated that the wasmi is the first rain of the year because it causes the earth to be green with vegetation. The naba is a tree from which bows are made, and the shuhat is similar to it. This means that the rain may begin to cause trees to grow between us and them. The meaning is that they seek to remain until the trees grow large among them because they are wealthy and do not frequently migrate like others. Or the meaning is that when spring arrives and those trees reach maturity, they take from them spears and bows and engage in warfare. The words are a metaphor for the outbreak of war between the two tribes, and this is what the context suggests, mentioning the space between them and specifying that tree. This means that they have revived and have spoken to themselves about transgression and extravagance. Or from transgression, which is luxury and pride, meaning: so that you may become arrogant in the land, and they have done what follows from arrogance, which is excess and corruption in it. It was said that it was revealed about a group from the People of the Suffah who wished for abundance of provision and wealth. Khabbab ibn al-Aratt said: It was revealed about us, as we looked at the wealth of Banu Qurayzah, al-Nadir, and Banu Qaynuqa, and we wished for it in a measure. It is said that he measured it in measure and measure. He is All-Aware, All-Seeing, knowing what their conditions will lead to, and He measures for them what is better for them and closer to uniting them. He impoverishes and enriches, withholds and gives, and restricts and expands as the divine wisdom dictates. If He had enriched them all, they would have transgressed, and if He had impoverished them, they would have perished. If you say: We see people transgressing against one another, and some of them are given abundance, and some are restricted, if the ones who are given abundance transgress, why were they given abundance? And if the ones who are restricted transgress, then transgression may occur without abundance, so why is it a condition? I say: There is no doubt that transgression with poverty is less, and with abundance, it is more and predominant. Both are a clear reason for advancing towards transgression and refraining from it. If abundance were to prevail, transgression would dominate until the situation would reverse from what it is now.

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