At-Tawba (The Repentance)

58. “And some of them find fault with you regarding to the (distribution of) alms; so if they are given from them, they are pleased, and if they are not given from them, they are enraged.”

The Qur’ānic term /lumaz / means ‘to find fault in front of a person’, while the term /humaz/ means ‘to find fault at the back of a person’.

That person who later became the leader of Kharijites (Khawārij) and the apostates (Māriqin), when the booties of the Battle of Hunayn were being distributed, he protested the Prophet (S) and told him to behave justly.

The Holy Prophet (S) said:

“Who is better in justice than I?”

At that time ‘Umar was going to kill the man for that undue insolence. But the Prophet (S) said that they let him go, and added that he would have some followers who would have such worships that the audience, comparing their worships with them, might count theirs naught. (This statement was a hint to their dry worships without mastership.)

With those plenty of worships, they exceeded the religion and went out of the bounds of Islam, like an arrow when it goes out of the bow. That person was killed in the Battle of Nahrawān by the sword of Hazrat Ali (as).

However, hypocrites look only at their own interests. Then, if they are given a share of bounties, they will be pleased and happy, and count the distributer a just person even though they do not deserve it.

But, if they are given naught from those interests, they will become angry, and accuse the distributer to injustice. The verse says:

“And some of them find fault with you regarding to the (distribution of) alms; so if they are given from them, they are pleased, and if they are not given from them, they are enraged.”