‘Lending to God’: Quran’s Encouragement to Help Those in Need
“One who generously lends to God will be paid back in many multiples of the loan. It is God who reduces and expands things and to Him you will all return.” (Surah Baqarah, verse 245)
Lending to God refers to helping those in need for the sake of God. The above verse reminds people that helping others will not lead to a decrease in their properties.
The issue of lending to God has been mentioned seven times in the Quran. Tafsir Majma‘ al-Bayan names some conditions for this lending, including that the amount is gained from a halal source, is given without making the other side beholden, is offered covertly, and is given quickly while safeguarding the face of the needy.
The word “Qarz” in Arabic refers to a sort of cutting; using this word refers to the fact that a part of someone’s property is cut and given to someone else and then return.
The Quran’s reference to “lending to God” shows that the reward of “Qardh al-hasan” (an interest-free loan) will be offered by God. Instead of ordering the faithful to lend to those in need, the Quran urges them to lend to God so as to encourage them to do so. On the other hand, this phrase tries to counter any feeling of weakness in the needy as God puts Himself in their shoes.
As humans are intrinsically seeking interests, the verse tries to encourage them, saying that the loan will be returned “in many multiples”.
The reward that God pays to lenders is both in this world and in the hereafter.
Messages of the verse according to Tafsir Noor
1) Helping people equals helping God
2) People need to be encouraged for helping the needy
3) If we believe that God “reduces and expands things”, we will easily offer our belongings
4) If we know that we will be paid back what we have offered and we will return to Allah, we will easily offer our belongings
