Commentary
Between your secret conversations is a metaphor from one who has two hands. The meaning is: before your secret conversations, as Umar said: one of the best things given to the Arabs is poetry, which a man presents before his need, so that he may invoke the generous and bring down the stingy. He means: before your need, that presentation is better for you in your religion and purer, because charity is a purification.
It has been narrated that the people excessively engaged in secret conversations with the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, about what they wanted until they overwhelmed him and troubled him. So it was desired that they should stop that, and it was commanded that whoever wanted to converse with him should give charity before his conversation. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When this was revealed, the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, called me and said: What do you say about a dinar? I said: They cannot afford it. He said: How much? I said: A grain or a barley. He said: You are indeed frugal. When they saw that, it became difficult for them, so they refrained and stopped. As for the poor, it was due to his hardship, and as for the rich, it was due to his stinginess.
I said: This is a compilation from two hadiths. From his saying: 'Ali said: You are indeed frugal,' it has been narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban, Abu Ya'la, and Al-Bazzar from the narration of Alqamah Al-Anmari from Ali with more details. He said after the saying: 'You are indeed frugal': So the verse was revealed: 'Are you afraid?' He said: When did Allah lighten this for this nation? Al-Tirmidhi said: It is good and strange; we only know it from this route. Al-Bazzar said: It is not preserved except from Ali with this chain. As for the beginning and the end, Al-Tabari and Ibn Mardawayh narrated from the narration of Ali ibn Abi Talhah from Ibn Abbas regarding this verse, saying: The Muslims excessively asked the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, until it became difficult for him. So Allah wanted to lighten for His Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. When he said that, many people became stingy with their wealth, so many people refrained from asking. Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed: 'So if you do not do what you were commanded and Allah has accepted your repentance,' and Allah expanded for them.
It was said: This lasted for ten nights and then was abrogated. It was said: It was only for an hour of the day. And Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: In the Book of Allah, there is a verse that no one has acted upon before me nor will anyone act upon after me: I had a dinar, and I exchanged it, and when I conversed with him, I would give a dirham in charity. Al-Kalbi said: He gave charity with it in ten words that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, asked him. And from Ibn Umar: Ali had three things: If I had one of them, it would be more beloved to me than red camels: his marriage to Fatimah, his giving of the banner on the Day of Khaybar, and the verse of secret conversation. Ibn Abbas said: It is abrogated by the verse that follows it, and it was said: It is abrogated by zakat. 'Are you afraid?' You feared the presentation of charities because of the spending that you dislike, and that the devil promises you poverty and commands you to commit indecency. 'So if you do not do what you were commanded and it became difficult for you, and Allah has accepted your repentance and excused you and permitted you not to do it, then do not neglect the prayer, zakat, and other acts of obedience.' This is read with a 'taa' and a 'yaa'.
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