إِنَّما نُطعِمُكُم لِوَجهِ اللَّهِ لا نُريدُ مِنكُم جَزاءً وَلا شُكورًا

[Saying:] ‘We feed you only for the sake of Allah. We do not want any reward from you nor any thanks.

EXEGESIS

Li wajh allāh (for the sake of God): wajh literally means face and countenance. Saying ‘countenance of God’ instead of ‘God’ is to express an added mark of reverence for Him.^{‎[1]Tibyan, 10/210.}

The face of anyone is that with which they present themselves to others. Hence, wajh allāh (the countenance of God) refers to the attibutes of divine acts (al-ṣifāt al-fiʿliyyah) through which He graces His creation with His bounties by bringing them into existence, managing their affairs, providing them with sustenance, and anything that falls under the category of His divine mercy, without which nothing can be. Hence, this verse describes the essence and reality of the actions of the abrār as motivated by the desire to gain God’s grace and pleasure alone, without regard for any kind of reward from any other source, including the recipients of their favours.

Seeking God’s countenance goes even deeper to include God’s attributes of essence (al-ṣifāt al-dhātiyyah), which are the source of all His attributes of divine acts. Hence, when the abrār engaged in acts of goodness, they did so out of love for God because He is absolute beauty. In other words, all these acts of devotion and worship go beyond being motivated by God’s graces, and are born from the realisation that God is worthy of worship in His own right.^{‎[2]Mizan, 20/127.} The invitation to perform acts of devotion in this way is repeated in numerous ways in the Quran (18:28, 2:272, 98:5, 40:65, 39:3).

Jazāʾ (reward) is the reciprocation of an action with the like, be it good or bad.^{‎[3]Lisan, 14/143.} Jazāʾ includes reciprocation in word and deed. However, here, since it is paired with shukūr (thanks), jazāʾ means material reward.^{‎[4]Mizan, 20/127.}

Shukūr (thanks) and shukr is to show gratitude for a blessing or a favour. The degree to which one can show gratitude can go from verbal praise up to verbal praise coupled with action.^{‎[5]Raghib, p. 461, where he lists shukūr at the levels of the heart, the tongue, and finally the limbs.} However, here, since it is paired with jazāʾ (reward), shukūr means verbal praise.^{‎[6]Mizan, 20/127-128.}

EXPOSITION

They give those in need preference over themselves out of love and yearning for God’s countenance alone. Notice that feeding a war captive who has been fighting the Muslims is seen as an act of piety in Islam.^{‎[7]Amthal, 19/258.}

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. It is reported that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) was asked: ‘What are the most beautiful traits in a person?’ He said: ‘[To invoke] reverence without fear, [to be] generous without seeking compensation, and to be busy with other than the material goods of this life.’^{‎[8]Khisal, pp. 92-93, h. 36.}
2. Al-Amālī reports from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a), from his father, that A spring where the servants of Allah drink, which they make to gush forth as they please refers to a fountain that would be in the house of the Prophet (in heaven) which gushes forth and flows to the houses of the other prophets and believers. As for They fulfil their vows, he said that it refers to Imam Ali (a), Lady Fatimah (a), Imam al-Hasan (a), Imam al-Husayn (a), and their servant. About [they] fear a day whose ill will be widespread, the Imam said that day will make some people frown grittily. For They give food, for the love of Him, he said that despite their physical desire for food, they prefer to give it away, to the needy of the Muslims, referred to in the verse as miskīn, and to the orphans of the Muslims, referred to in the verse as yatīm, and the captives of war from the polytheists, referred to in the verse as asīr. The Imam further explains that upon giving out the food, they said We feed you only for the sake of Allah. We do not want any reward from you nor any thanks. He then said: ‘By Allah, they did not [verbally] say this to them! Instead, they kept it to themselves, but Allah revealed it. They said [without expressing it verbally]: “We want no recompense from you nor praise. We are but feeding you to seek God’s countenance and reward.”’^{‎[9]Amali.S, p. 333.}

Note: Makārim Shīrāzī explains that the divinely pure drinks that gush forth from the house of the Prophet to the houses of the believers is part of the manifestation of deeds (tajassum al-aʿmāl), where the deeds of human beings in this life have a manifestation in the hereafter. Here, the water that flows from the house of the Prophet to that of the believers is the heavenly manifestation of the fountains of knowledge and divine mercy that gush from the house of prophethood to the hearts of the believers on earth.^{‎[10] Amthal, 19/256.}

[1] Tibyan, 10/210.
[2] Mizan, 20/127.
[3] Lisan, 14/143.
[4] Mizan, 20/127.
[5] Raghib, p. 461, where he lists shukūr at the levels of the heart, the tongue, and finally the limbs.
[6] Mizan, 20/127-128.
[7] Amthal, 19/258.
[8] Khisal, pp. 92-93, h. 36.
[9] Amali.S, p. 333.
[10] Amthal, 19/256.