Prayer and Charity

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وَلَمَّا أَقَامَ الحُجَّةَ وَبَيَّنَ الحُجَّةَ ارْتَهَنَ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِكَسْبِهَا وَآخَذَهَا بِذَنْبِهَا

And when the proof was established and made clear, every soul is held accountable for its deeds and taken for its sins.

وَاسْتَثْنَىٰ مِنْ أُولَٰئِكَ مَنْ قَبْلُ هُدَاهُ وَاتَّبَعَ رِضَاهُ

Except those whom He guided beforehand and who followed His pleasure.

وَهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَصَدَّقُوا الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَسَلَكُوا غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

And they are the companions of the right hand who believed in God and confirmed the messengers and followed paths other than those of the criminals.

الَّذِينَ لَيْسُوا مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَ وَلَا مِنْ مُطْعِمِي الْمِسْكِينِ

Those who are not among those who pray, nor among those who feed the poor.

وَهُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْخَوْضِ مَعَ الْخَائِضِينَ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ

And they are among those who engage in vain talk along with those who deny the Day of Judgment.

فَهَذِهِ أَرْبَعُ صِفَاتٍ أَخْرَجَتْهُمْ مِنْ زُمْرَةِ الْمُفْلِحِينَ وَأَدْخَلَتْهُمْ فِي جُمْلَةِ الْهَالِكِينَ

So, these are four traits that removed them from the group of the successful and placed them among the doomed.

الْأُولَى تَرْكُ الصَّلَاةِ وَهِيَ عَمُودُ الْإِخْلَاصِ لِلْمَعْبُودِ

The first is abandoning prayer, which is the pillar of devotion to the worshiped.

الثَّانِيَةُ تَرْكُ إِطْعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ الَّذِي هُوَ مِنْ مَرَاتِبِ الْإِحْسَانِ لِلْعَبِيدِ

The second is abandoning feeding the poor, which is among the ranks of benevolence to the servants.

فَلَا إِخْلَاصَ لِلْخَلْقِ وَلَا إِحْسَانَ لِلْمَخْلُوقِ

There is neither devotion to the Creator nor benevolence to the creation.

كما قال تعالى ﴿الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاؤُونَ وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ﴾

As He, the Almighty, said, 'Those who show off and withhold simple assistance.'

وَقَالَ وَلَا يَأْتُونَ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كُسَالَىٰ وَلَا يُنْفِقُونَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ

And He said, 'They do not approach prayer except lazily, and they do not spend except reluctantly.'

وَهَذَا ضِدُّ مَا وُصِفَ بِهِ أَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ بِقَوْلِهِ الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ

This contrasts with the description of the companions of the right hand, about whom it is said, 'They establish prayer and spend from what We have provided them.'

وَقَالَ تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ

And He said, 'Their sides shun their beds as they call upon their Lord in fear and hope, and from what We have provided them, they spend.'

وَقَرَنَ سُبْحَانَهُ بَيْنَ هَذَيْنِ الأَصْلَيْنِ فِي غَيْرِ مَوْضِعٍ فِي كِتَابِهِ

And Allah associated these two principles in various places in His Book.

فَأَمَرَ بِهِمَا تَارَةً وَأَثْنَىٰ عَلَى فَاعِلِيهِمَا تَارَةً وَتَوَعَّدَ بِالْوَيْلِ وَالْعِقَابِ تَارِكَهُمَا تَارَةً

He commanded them at times, praised those who perform them at other times, and warned of woe and punishment for those who abandon them at other times.

فَإِنَّ مَدَارَ النَّجَاةِ عَلَيْهِمَا وَلَا فَلَاحَ لِمَنْ أَخَلَّ بِهِمَا

Indeed, salvation depends on them, and there is no success for one who neglects them.