سورة البقرة

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The words of Allah the Exalted — مَثَلُ الَّذینَ یُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوالَهُمُ ابْتِغاءَ مَرْضاتِ اللهِ [The parable of those who spend their wealth seeking the pleasure of Allah] — were revealed concerning Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): مَثَلُ الَّذِینَ یُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوالَهُمُ ابْتِغاءَ مَرْضاتِ اللهِ [And the parable of those who spend their property to seek the pleasure of Allah] — Ali [is what is meant by this verse]; Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) is the foremost [instance] of these people, and he is the one of whom the Qur'an says: he used to spend his wealth to seek the pleasure of Allah.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah gave this parable for the believers who spend their wealth for the pleasure of Allah and to strengthen their faith, free from reproach and harm, and said: وَ مَثَلُ الَّذِینَ یُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوالَهُمُ ابْتِغاءَ مَرْضاتِ اللهِ وَ تَثْبِیتاً مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ کَمَثَلِ جَنَّةٍ بِرَبْوَةٍ أَصابَها وابِلٌ فَآتَتْ أُکُلَها ضِعْفَیْنِ فَإِنْ لَمْ یُصِبْها وابِلٌ فَطَلٌّ وَ اللهُ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِیرٌ [And the parable of those who spend their property to seek the pleasure of Allah and for the certainty of their souls is as the parable of a garden on an elevated ground, upon which heavy rain falls so it brings forth its fruit twofold but if heavy rain does not fall upon it, then light rain (is sufficient); and Allah sees what you do]. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: [this saying] مَثَلُهُمْ کَمَثَلِ جَنَّةٍ بِرَبْوَةٍ means like a garden on a high place; أَصابَها وابِلٌ means rain; فَآتَتْ أُکُلَها ضِعْفَیْنِ and it doubles the fruit of that garden, just as [Allah] doubles the reward of the one who spends in the way of seeking Allah's pleasure; and طَلٌّ is the dew that settles at night upon trees and plants.