مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ 12
Translations
A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,
Transliteration
Mannaa'in lil-khayri mu'tadin athim
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes a person characterized by three grave moral defects: being a preventer of good (mannaa'), a transgressor (mu'tadi), and sinful (athim). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, these verses describe the qualities of those who reject the message and oppose the believers, specifically referencing the attitude of those who obstruct charitable acts and divine guidance. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the term 'mannaa' denotes one who withholds both material wealth and spiritual guidance from others, a form of deliberate spiritual deprivation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-Qalam's broader context of defending Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) against accusations made by the Meccan disbelievers. The surah opens by establishing the Prophet's integrity and then contrasts this with the character of those who rejected him. This specific ayah describes the antithetical character traits of the rejectors, fitting within the surah's defense of the Prophet's moral standing against his critics.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of people are those who are most beneficial to people' (Al-Tirmidhi), which implicitly condemns the 'mannaa' quality of withholding good. Additionally, the hadith 'Whoever prevents goodness is cursed' relates thematically to the severity of preventing others from benefit.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a warning against allowing greed, hardness of heart, and transgression to prevent us from contributing to the welfare of others and sharing knowledge and compassion. Believers should cultivate the opposite qualities by being generous with their blessings, righteous in conduct, and actively promoting good for their communities.