Surah Al Isra ayat 100 Tafsir Quran 17:100

﴿قُل لَّوْ أَنتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَائِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّي إِذًا لَّأَمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الْإِنفَاقِ ۚ وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ قَتُورًا﴾
[ الإسراء: 100]

17:100 Say [to them], "If you possessed the depositories of the mercy of my Lord, then you would withhold out of fear of spending." And ever has man been stingy.

Say to them ‘If you possessed the treasuries of my Lord’s mercy those treasuries of provision and rain you would surely withhold them you would stint for fear of spending fearing that they would be depleted if one spent from them and that you would then become impoverished; and man is ever niggardly’.

Say to them: If you -infidels- were to have a place in the realm of the ruling power and you have the power of governing and controlling the vast treasuries of Allahs mercy, you would have exercised restraint by virtue of your niggardly disposition and for fear of want. Nonetheless, man has always been characterized by parsimony

Holding back is Part of Man's Nature Allah says to His Messenger : "Tell them, O Muhammad, even if you had authority over the treasures of Allah, you would refrain from spending for fear of exhausting it." Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah said, "This means for fear of poverty," lest it run out, despite the fact that it can never be exhausted or come to an end.
This is because it is part of your nature.
So Allah says: وَكَانَ الإنْسَـنُ قَتُورًا ( and man is ever miserly. ) Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah said: "( This means ) stingy and holding back." Allah says: أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً ( Or have they a share in the dominion Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqira. ) ( 4:53 ), meaning that even if they had a share in the authority of Allah, they would not have given anything to anyone, not even the amount of a Naqira ( speck on the back of a date stone ).
Allah describes man as he really is, except for those whom Allah helps and guides.
Miserliness, discontent and impatience are human characteristics, as Allah says: إِنَّ الإِنسَـنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعاً - إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعاً - وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعاً - إِلاَّ الْمُصَلِّينَ ( Verily, man was created very impatient; irritable when evil touches him; and stingy when good touches him.
Except those who are devoted to Salah (prayers ).
) ( 70:19-22 ).
And there are many other such references in the Qur'an.
This is an indication of the generosity and kindness of Allah.
In the Two Sahihs it says:
«يَدُ اللهِ مَلْأَى لَا يَغِيضُهَا نَفَقَةٌ سَحَّاءُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ، أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْفَقَ مُنْذُ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَغِضْ مَا فِي يَمِينِه»
( Allah's Hand is full and never decreases because of His giving night and day.
Do you not see how much He has given since He created the heavens and the earth, yet that which is in His right hand never decreases. )

(17:100) O Muhammad, say to them, "Had the treasures of your Lord's blessings been in your possession, you would have held them back lest they should be spent up. Indeed man is very narrow minded." *112

Say [to them], "If you possessed the meaning

*112) This verse also suggests the same thing that has already been mentioned in V .
55.
This hints at the real psychological reason why the disbelievers of Makkah were not inclined w accept Muhammad ( Allah's peace be upon him ), their contemporary, as a Prophet.
For thus they would have to acknowledge his superiority and one dces not easily acknowledge the superiority of one's contemporary.
This verse may be expanded like this: " Those people who are so narrow-minded that they arc unwilling even to acknowledge the real superiority of another, cannot be expected to be generous in spending on others, if they possessed the keys of the treasures of Allah's blessings. "
 

Holding back is Part of Man's Nature Allah says to His Messenger : "Tell them, O Muhammad, even if you had authority over the treasures of Allah, you would refrain from spending for fear of exhausting it." Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah said, "This means for fear of poverty," lest it run out, despite the fact that it can never be exhausted or come to an end.
This is because it is part of your nature.
So Allah says: وَكَانَ الإنْسَـنُ قَتُورًا ( and man is ever miserly. ) Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah said: "( This means ) stingy and holding back." Allah says: أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً ( Or have they a share in the dominion Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqira. ) ( 4:53 ), meaning that even if they had a share in the authority of Allah, they would not have given anything to anyone, not even the amount of a Naqira ( speck on the back of a date stone ).
Allah describes man as he really is, except for those whom Allah helps and guides.
Miserliness, discontent and impatience are human characteristics, as Allah says: إِنَّ الإِنسَـنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعاً - إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعاً - وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعاً - إِلاَّ الْمُصَلِّينَ ( Verily, man was created very impatient; irritable when evil touches him; and stingy when good touches him.
Except those who are devoted to Salah (prayers ).
) ( 70:19-22 ).
And there are many other such references in the Qur'an.
This is an indication of the generosity and kindness of Allah.
In the Two Sahihs it says: «يَدُ اللهِ مَلْأَى لَا يَغِيضُهَا نَفَقَةٌ سَحَّاءُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ، أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْفَقَ مُنْذُ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَغِضْ مَا فِي يَمِينِه» ( Allah's Hand is full and never decreases because of His giving night and day.
Do you not see how much He has given since He created the heavens and the earth, yet that which is in His right hand never decreases. )

( Say ) O Muhammad, to the people of Mecca: ( If you possessed the treasures of the mercy of my Lord ) if you possessed the keys to the stores of the provision of my Lord, ( ye would surely hold them back for fear of spending ) for fear of becoming poor, ( for man ) i.e. the disbelieving man ( was ever grudging ) parsimonious, stingy and tight-fisted.

Say (to the disbelievers): "If you possessed the treasure of the Mercy of my Lord (wealth, money, provision, etc.), then you would surely hold back (from spending) for fear of (being exhausted), and man is ever miserly!"

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