Surah An-Nisa, Verse 53 and 54

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*Surah An-Nisa, Verse 53:*

أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ فَإِذًا لَّا يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيرًا

Or have they a share in the dominion? Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqira (farthing i.e speck on the back of a date-stone).

*COMMENTARY*

The word I have translated farthing is "naqīr", the groove in a date stone, a thing of no value whatever. Close - fistedness and envy are among the worst forms of selfishness, and appear specially incongruous in people of power, authority, or influence, from whom is expected generosity in giving and generosity in seeing other people's prosperity or happiness.

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*Surah An-Nisa, Verse 54:*

أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ فَقَدْ آتَيْنَا آلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَآتَيْنَاهُم مُّلْكًا عَظِيمًا

Or do they envy men (Muhammad [Blessings and Peace of Allāh be upon him] and his followers) for what Allah has given them of His Bounty? Then We had already given the family of Ibrahim (Abraham) the Book and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah - Divine Inspiration to those Prophets not written in the form of a book), and conferred upon them a great kingdom (such as the kingdom of David and Solomon, for they had international fame).