The calamity on the earth: such as drought and the afflictions of crops and fruits. And in the souls: such as diseases and death, in a Book in the Tablet before We create them, meaning the souls or the calamities. Indeed, the estimation of that and its affirmation in a Book is easy for Allah, even if it is difficult for the servants. Then He explained that and clarified the wisdom in it by saying: so that you do not grieve... and do not rejoice. This means that when you know that everything is predetermined and written with Allah, your grief over what has passed and your joy over what is to come will be lessened. For whoever knows that what he has is bound to him, his distress upon losing it will not be severe, because he has accustomed himself to that. Likewise, whoever knows that some good has reached him, and that its arrival will not escape him: his joy upon attaining it will not be great. And Allah does not love every arrogant boaster.

Because whoever rejoices in a share of this world and magnifies it in himself: he becomes arrogant and boasts about it and becomes haughty over people.

It has been recited: 'with what He has given you.' And 'He has given you,' from the giving and coming. And in the recitation of Ibn Mas'ud: 'with what you have been given.' If you say: No one can control himself at the time of harm that befalls him, nor at the time of benefit he attains, to not grieve or rejoice.

I say: The intended meaning is the grief that leads one to be distracted from patience and submission to Allah's command and the hope for the reward of the patient, and the excessive joy that distracts from gratitude. As for the grief that a person hardly escapes from while submitting, and the joy in Allah's blessing and being content with it while being grateful: there is no harm in them.

'Those who are stingy' is a replacement for the saying 'every arrogant boaster,' as if he said: He does not love those who are stingy. He means: those who rejoice in excessive joy when they are granted wealth and a share of this world. For their love for it and its importance to them and its greatness in their eyes: leads them to withhold it from the rights of Allah and to be stingy with it. It is not enough for them that they are stingy; they even compel people to be stingy and encourage them to withhold and beautify it for them. And all of this is a result of their joy in it and their arrogance when they attain it. And whoever turns away from Allah's commands and prohibitions and does not cease from what He has forbidden, from grieving over what has passed and rejoicing over what is to come: then indeed, Allah is free of need of him. And it has been recited: 'with stinginess.' And Nafi' recited: 'Indeed, Allah is the Rich,' and it is in the manuscripts of the people of Medina and Sham likewise.