Al-Baqarah 268: Shaytan will frighten you with poorness and commands you to be miserly. Allah however promises you forgiveness and grace from Allah’s presence. Allah is Wasi (generous in Allah’s grace) and Aleem (All-Knowing).

We come to the second verse.

Satan frightens you with poverty and commands you to stinginess.

Now, while explaining these verses I always repeat it, and still I will repeat it. You know I said I am very afraid — very afraid. Sir, for fear people would misunderstand, 'do not give charity in Allah's way' I could not say, 'give' I could not say, I could not say it, and I always skipped them. The religion of Islam — people, under the guise of Islam, those poor people they exploited, they set their eyes on what they earned. In this situation people did not leave the religion, but toward the Hodjas they nursed an antipathy. For this reason we cannot say: give in charity in Allah's way. Even if little, do not accustom your hand to stinginess.

We could not say: Satan frightens you with stinginess, frightens you with poverty. But we said that when the time came we would open the verses to you. We will open them. Then we will explain them to you. Under the light of those verses we will do our duty. But never, when the Hodja explains it so nicely like this, wonder whether he himself is asking for help — never let such a thing cross your mind. Well, can it be done without help, Hodja? I said it in our last lesson too. We have no need for help like this. Small things among you are covered by our Lord's (?) to us. There is need for help. Then help each other among yourselves.

Do not put the Hodja title forward. Help each other among yourselves. A television (?) this. Open it. Say: Hodja, we have set up a television. You come too and do your duty here. Ah, that's it. Look. This works. But: you give, and I will broadcast. Let me spend it in Allah's way. Look, this too is a form of charity. That — no. Actually a very fine matter, yet in your mind Satan somehow finds a way. That is why the Hodjas' heads are so big. His head fits nowhere. So, building dialogue among yourselves, uniting, such a — once more, to the world, not via the internet but via television; today every- thing can be watched on television.

Yes, few come to the internet. Look, we are 47 people, 42 people, 45 people. It's been over a year or so, and we can't get above 50. None. The world isn't there. Yes. That is why those who use computers are few. Computers. Many have no computer, mostly young people use computers, and the young use computers in perverse ways; that is why if there is television — people today, religious or not, more or less watch television — there you will both have striven and, in a big way, in Allah's way have given charity. Of course, if your means suffice and you (?), Allah forbid.

Satan frightens you with poverty and commands you to stinginess. And Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and a bounty. A bounty — He promises bounty. From Himself. From what? Give for Allah, He says. Give from what I gave you. Who gives? I give to you, says Allah Almighty. I give. It is My wealth. Give Me My wealth, and I will grant you bounty, He says. Hey, do not obey Satan, He says; do not hold back your hand, do not be stingy, He says. Do not be stingy. Satan will keep you away from good deeds. Why do you refrain from giving Me My wealth? says Allah Almighty. Yes. And Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself, that is, a reward, a (?) of sins, a giving of reward, and a bounty.

He promises you bounties in return for what you gave, He says. He promises more. Allah is vast in power and all-knowing. Yes.

Roaming in people's bloodstreams, tempting people, Satan, in the face of the good deeds people will do, to keep these good deeds from being done and, in Allah's sight, those people's good from being recorded, ceaselessly, with various ideas, from tempting people never holds back. What does Satan say?

If a person is in need and he asks to have that need met — hey, his hands and feet work. Go and work. Let him go and work. Or: a healthy, sound man, sir — look, we work, let him work too. Or: in need — of what? Hey, if you had worked you wouldn't have fallen into this state — like this Satan tempts you with all sorts of ideas. For example, a poor or needy person, a person came to you and asked for a need to be met. Here Satan steps in right away. A healthy, sound man, his hands and feet work, let him go and work, he says. If he does not succeed with this: don't squander your money. How much money do you have anyway? If you give this as charity too, what will you do tomorrow — constantly (?).

(?) of the good deeds people will do tries to get in the way. Of their good deeds. Here, with the strength of faith, you, to your Lord's command, today — if this, my Lord who gave this to me, to my Lord's servant, to a servant of my Lord in need — if I give not to him but to my Lord, I will earn my Lord's bounty. That is, with a sum that meets more of my need, by my Lord I will be (?). And when (?), if you say (?), if you overcome Satan's temptation, you take your place on Allah's side.

Wise and faithful people, however, remember the verses of Allah Almighty. As in this verse: Satan frightens you with poverty; or: spend in Allah's way. In another verse: to the needy, for Allah, give. As many more verses come to people's minds, people grow strong against the temptations Satan gives. Through the good deeds they do, they attain reward in Allah's sight. Yes. So, against Satan's temptations that come to our hearts, we, remembering the verses of Allah Almighty and taking our place on our Lord's side — those who to us show need, or have business with us, or are in want, or turn to us if their matter can be handled with the means in our hands — doing these people's work is, by our Lord, being (?).

Yes. So, brothers, with their love for one another, affection, unity and togetherness, meeting one another's needs. And as long as needs are met, people's loving one another, within the garb of the religion of Islam — as cement binds sand and gravel together, so faith, by its light, people are bound to one another with Allah's verses; like a fortress, one body they become. This is what giving charity is.

So on one side, Satan. On the other side, Allah.

Man has put on the wrestling breeches, the breeches — a wrestler

who has stepped into the arena. On one side Satan, on the other side Allah's commands. That is, on one side under the garb of faith, on the other inside the garb of your nafs, you will wrestle.

Satan tries to push man to stinginess, to keep him away from the verses Allah made known. Allah, however, invites us to forgiveness and Paradise.

People who hold their will in their hands, if their nature is bad, follow Satan's tracks. If their nature is good, they bow to Allah's commands. Yes. 'Whoever feeds the orphan, the poor and the captive for Allah' — by the verse where He says this, they abide. They feed the orphan, the poor and the captive. Whoever, before Allah, wholeheartedly helps Allah's servants and solves their difficulties — Allah Almighty, too, in the next world, such people will meet with a smiling face, and neither fear nor grief will touch them. Allah is vast in power.

The meaning of this: all His creatures and the universe Allah has encompassed. Allah is vast in power. We recall from our earlier lessons: the nuclei of atoms, the nuclei turning around their own axes, and their making a sound. Even if we do not hear it, the heavens and the earth and what is between them know their Lord's remembrance, according to the verse. Plus, they create a magnetic field. All those magnetic fields are programmed to our Lord. Just as a telephone — even if a person is at a phone on the other side of the world — calls, and on that number, that frequency, they find each other, so in this universe the tiniest particle, that particle's plus, and its (?) stirring, (?) our Lord.

And He both sees and hears. That is what He means by 'vast in power': there is no particle He created that is (?). Yes. For this reason all created things are (?) in need of Him. There. Through the attribute al-Hayy. Among created things, even particles are in need of Allah Almighty. Since their provision will be met by Allah Almighty, meeting their needs is not hard for Allah. Why? Because He is aware of them all and knows them all. Allah is vast in power, He says. In Allah's sight, people are not like those who work at a workplace and sometimes do not get their money and are wronged.

So what are we saying? In Allah's sight, people are not like those who work at a workplace and sometimes do not get their money and are wronged — not so, in Allah's sight. Why? Because He knows all His creatures and gives them their provision. All created things are provided for by Allah until the end of their lives. If Allah Almighty had cut off their provision, had wronged them, Allah Almighty would be given that attribute. For this reason the fear of poverty Satan gives and his temptation should not frighten you, so that you surrender to Allah and spend in Allah's way. How beautifully He puts it.

The verses are very beautiful.