يَقولُ أَهلَكتُ مالًا لُبَدًا

He says: ‘I have squandered immense wealth.’

EXEGESIS

Lubada (immense) literally means a lot or an immense amount; it is a reference to a collection or piles of something.^{‎[1]Qummi, 2/242.} Thus, it is used to describe wealth that has been gathered in portions cumulatively, until a large sum of wealth is piled up.^{‎[2]Furqan, 30/326.}

Ahlaktu (squandered) seems to indicate that they spent their wealth in a manner in which they received nothing in return, as if they wasted it; this would seem more in line with the case of ʿAmr ibn ʿAbd-Wudd (see Insights from Hadith).^{‎[3]Amthal, 20/209.}

EXPOSITION

As is clear from the wordings of the verse, this verse is referring to someone who had spent a large amount of wealth in a manner that they thought was squandering. The wealth that was spent is not being praised but rather it is being condemned, as it was spent to either show off and boast or out of enmity of the Holy Prophet.^{‎[4]Jawhar, 6/412.}

For Tabatabai, the context of these verses as well as the narrations, indicate that these verses are rebuking some people who had either accepted Islam or were leaning towards Islam and thought they had spent a lot of their wealth in charity. The next verses then tell them that true success is not just spending wealth anyhow, but it is specifically spending wealth in the way of God which is one of the challenges man must go through as it is difficult for him to part ways with his hard-earned wealth.^{‎[5]Mizan, 20/292.}

Another view states that perhaps this person was lying in that he had spent a lot of wealth and was just saying that in order to gain a favourable position in the eyes of people.^{‎[6]Fadlallah, 24/265.} Or perhaps he did spend some wealth but he was lying that it was an enormous amount.^{‎[7]Mudarrisi, 18/120.} In his own eyes he might have felt that he had done something enormous, which is in contrast to the believer who always sees himself as falling short of what is the right of God.^{‎[8]Mudarrisi, 18/120.}

Another opinion is that this verse refers to those people who, when they are asked to spend in the way of God, respond by saying that they have already spent an enormous amount of wealth, whereas in reality they have only spent a small amount and perhaps even what they did spend was out of pride and for the sake of showing off.^{‎[9]Amthal, 20/209.}

A comprehensive understanding that takes into account all the above-mentioned ideas, as well as the context of the verse, is that which has been put forward by Subḥānī. The verse is talking about an individual who, when asked to spend in the way of God, responds in a haughty way: ‘I have squandered immense wealth.’ He assumes that no one is aware of his actions as to whether he has spent his wealth or not, and if he did, did he spend a lot or a little? And if he spent a lot, was it for the sake of God or for showing off? Or worse, did he spend it in the right cause or for the cause of opposing the Prophet?^{‎[10]Munyah, 30/362.}

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. It has been mentioned in a narration from Abū al-Jārūd, from Imam al-Bāqir (a): ‘It refers to ʿAmr ibn ʿAbd-Wudd when Imam Ali (a) presented Islam to him on the day of Khandaq and he said: “Where is then all the wealth I spent on you?” Referring to the wealth he had spent in order to hinder from the path of God.’^{‎[11]Qummi, 2/422.}

Note: If this hadith is correct, it should be taken as an application of the verse rather than its interpretation, since this surah was revealed in Mecca before the Battle of Khandaq.

1. Another report indicates that this verse is referring to Ḥārith ibn Nawfil ibn ʿAbd-Manāf. He committed a sin and then came to the Prophet, asking how he may recompense for it and was told to pay an atonement (kaffārah). He then responded by saying: ‘All my wealth has been disbursed by paying atonements (kaffārāt) and payments (nafaqāt) since entering the religion of Muhammad (s).’^{‎[12]Tabrisi, 10/748.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Ṭūsī brings a view that this is a continuation of the previous verse, where this man continues to think that he will not be brought to account by saying, ‘who can take account of all the wealth that I have spent’? Based on this reading, the man is not complaining about how much he has spent, but is rather a kind of boasting in which he thinks he has spent so much that no one can hold him accountable.^{‎[13]Tibyan, 10/351.}

Another opinion is that these words will be said by people on the Day of Judgement, and the reason why they would use the word squandered is because they will realise that all their spending in this world came to no avail in the hereafter.^{‎[14]Alusi, 15/352.}

[1] Qummi, 2/242.
[2] Furqan, 30/326.
[3] Amthal, 20/209.
[4] Jawhar, 6/412.
[5] Mizan, 20/292.
[6] Fadlallah, 24/265.
[7] Mudarrisi, 18/120.
[8] Mudarrisi, 18/120.
[9] Amthal, 20/209.
[10] Munyah, 30/362.
[11] Qummi, 2/422.
[12] Tabrisi, 10/748.
[13] Tibyan, 10/351.
[14] Alusi, 15/352.