Commenting on the abovementioned blessed Ayah, ‘Allamah ‘Alauddin ‘Ali Bin Muhammad رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated in Tafseer Khaazin: ‘expressing favour’ means that after giving something to somebody, mentioning it in the presence of others: I have given you so much and treated you in such a way. Thus to displease someone in this way is called expressing a favour. Hurting someone’s feelings means to make him feel ashamed. For example if it is said ‘you were poor, destitute, compelled, idle, etc. I took care of you’.

He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه further stated: If the beggar is not given anything, so speaking to him kindly and replying politely in such a manner that is not unpleasant for him is better than the Sadaqah after which he is annoyed and favour is mentioned to him. Similarly, if he insists on begging or speaks rudely, [so forgiving him is better than the Sadaqah after which he is annoyed and favour is mentioned to him]. (Tafseer Khaazin, part 3, Al-Baqarah, vol. 1, pp. 206)

Respect of Muslim

Dear Islamic sisters! Please ponder! Islam has greatly considered the respect of a Muslim. No one should hurt the feelings of her Muslim sister by expressing the favour that she does to her financially or by taunting her. A Muslim should respect her Muslim sister because by giving Sadaqah and charity, no one is allowed to defame the honour of a poor Muslim by constantly reminding her of her favours. From such Sadaqah it would have been better that she had not given her anything, but rather would have said something good, would have said sorry or would have sent her to someone else.

Here lies a moral lesson for those who after being excited first help the needy but afterwards taunt and insult them. If they get angry for anything, they instantly begin expressing all the favours that they had done to her. For example it is said:

1     I referred for the job of so and so and today she does not listen to me.

2      When her mother was in great distress in the hospital, I helped her.

3     I arranged her daughter’s wedding, and today she has forgotten all my favours, etc.