Overview (Verses 244 - 245)

Multiplied Loan Repayment
 
As the sūrah continues, we begin to understand the significance of the story and partly appreciate God’s purpose in citing this episode quite early on in the history of the Muslim nation. The next verse says: “Fight for the cause of God and know that God hears all and knows all.” (Verse 244)
 
This verse tells the Muslims very clearly that neither their love of life nor their fear of death should stop them from fighting for God’s cause. Death and life are determined by God, and those who believe should fight for His cause and under His banner alone. They should be mindful that God is aware of what they do and is there to respond to their needs and appreciate and reward their actions.
 
To fight for the cause of God, which is the ultimate form of jihād, requires devotion and sacrifice. In the Qur’ān, jihād is frequently associated with financial contribution, especially in the early days of Islam when fighting was voluntary and fighters were required to finance their own participation in it. There would be eager and capable ones who were prevented from going out with the Muslim army only by their lack of means. The emphasis on financial sacrifice was, therefore, essential, as the sūrah strongly states: “Who will offer God a generous loan, which He will repay multiplied many times over? It is God who straitens people’s circumstances and it is He who gives abundantly; and to Him you shall all return.” (Verse 245)
 
God bestows life and takes it away, and one may go to battle and survive, if that is God’s will. Wealth is not lost when spent in a good cause. It is a form of loan to God whose generous repayment is guaranteed, both in this world and in the life to come.
 
Poverty and wealth are also due to God’s will rather than the outcome of one’s financial acumen or frugality or philanthropy. “It is God who straitens people’s circumstances and it is He who gives abundantly; and to Him you shall all return.” (Verse 245) People and all their possessions shall one day return to God, and so death and poverty no longer pose any threat. Believers shall go ahead and sacrifice their lives, their wealth and all their possessions in the cause of God who has already charted their course and destiny in this world. They shall live their lives to the full, in dignity and freedom, in the service of God Almighty.
 
This short passage is a fine example of the power of the Qur’ānic language and style. We are immediately taken into a scene of panic and confusion, with thousands of people fleeing in all directions to avoid death and annihilation. Suddenly, they meet the very fate they are trying to escape; no measures or precautions they have taken will avail them. And, just as suddenly and without further explanation, they are brought back to life by the mighty hand of God, who controls everything and whose power is overwhelming. Thus, we realize that life and death are in the hands of God Almighty, as are wealth and fortune, which complement the theme of the passage.