At-Tawba (The Repentance)

99. “And of the Bedouins are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and take what they spend to be (means of) the nearness to Allah and the prayers (blessings) of the Messenger. Look! Surely they are means of nearness for them. Soon Allah will admit them into His mercy. Verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”

Opposite to those Bedouins of Arab who were hypocrites, the Qur’ān refers to another group of the Bedouins who had a true Faith in Allah and the Day of Resurrection. This reference is for the reason that no one considers that all of the Bedouins were always totally hypocrites and disbelievers. The verse says:

“And of the Bedouins are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day…”

As a result of the Faith they had in Allah, this group of Bedouins of Arabs spent their wealth in charity in the way of Allah. So, whatever they spent in charity they assumed it as a means of nearness to Allah and, also, an attraction of the prayers of the Prophet (S). The verse continues saying:

“…and take what they spend to be (means of) the nearness to Allah and the prayers (blessings) of the Messenger…”

These Bedouins believed that spending properties in the way of Allah caused both the nearness to Allah and that the Prophet (S) would pray for them; since the Prophet (S) used to pray for any one of the believers who spent in charity in the way of Allah, and therefore, he encouraged him thereby.

The behaviour of these faithful Bedouins can be compared with that of the hypocritical Bedouins. These considered what they spent in charity as a means of nearness to Allah, while the former group, as was explained in the previous verses, considered their charities a kind of loss, since they did not believe in Allah’s rewards.

Therefore, in the continuation of the holy verse, the Qur’ān says:

“…Look! Surely they are means of nearness for them…”

There is no distance, of course, between Man and the Lord. Then the purpose of this ‘nearness’ is ‘a spiritual nearness’, and that a faithful person ought to create the epithets of Allah inside himself.

It is in this case that he may be involved in the mercy and favour of Allah (s.w.t.), and can enjoy His rewards. We see that in this holy very verse, after confirming that their charities cause the nearness to Him, the Qur’ān immediately says:

“…Soon Allah will admit them into His mercy…”

And, by this phrase, the Qur’ān states the fruit of the nearness to Allah. So, the verse concludes as follows:

“…Verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”