َ مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَا إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ ﴿۲۲﴾ لِكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَا آتَاكُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ ﴿۲۳﴾ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبُخْلِ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ ﴿۲۴﴾

﴾22﴿ Maaa asaaba min museebatin fil ardi wa laa feee anfusikum illaa fee kitaabim min qabli an nabra ahaa; innaa zaalika 'alal laahi yaseer
﴾23﴿ Likailaa ta'saw 'alaa maa faatakum wa laa tafrahoo bimaaa aataakum; wallaahu laa yuhibbu kulla mukhtaalin fakhoor
﴾24﴿ Allazeeena yabkhaloona wa yaamuroonan naasa bil bukhl; wa many yatawalla fa innal laaha Huwal Ghaniyyul Hameed

﴾22﴿ No calamity befalls on the earth or within yourselves except that it is inscribed in the decree before We bring it into existence. Indeed, this is easy for Allah
﴾23﴿ (This belief) is so that you do not grieve over what has passed from you in blessings and do not boast about what He has given you. And Allah, the Exalted, does not love every arrogant, self-praising person
﴾24﴿ Those who are stingy and command others to be stingy—whoever turns away, then indeed, Allah, the Exalted, is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy

[22] In this verse, the fifth method of encouraging infāq (charitable spending) is presented—this time by removing a common misconception.
If someone imagines that spending wealth is of no benefit because calamities are already predestined and cannot be prevented by wealth—this verse responds to that doubt.
(Fī al-arḍ)—refers to calamities such as famine, plague, inflation, floods, earthquakes, destruction of crops, etc.
(Wa lā fī anfusikum)—refers to personal afflictions such as illnesses, poverty, the death of children, hardship in life, and so on.
(Illā fī kitāb)—This is proof that divine decree (taqdīr) is not just the knowledge of Allah, but rather it includes its recording in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ).
So whoever denies divine decree, or accepts Allah’s knowledge but denies its written record, both are upon incorrect beliefs—even if there is a difference in their error.
(Dhālika ʿalā Allāhi yasīr)—This statement removes the doubt about how Allah can know all future events and record them—no matter how numerous or detailed.
The answer is: in relation to Allah’s infinite knowledge and power, all of this is easy.
[23] This passage explains the benefits of believing in divine decree (īmān bi’l-taqdīr):
First Note: If a person is deprived of a blessing—whether health, provision, wealth, or safety—they should not grieve excessively, but rather accept that if it had not been decreed for them, it would never have come to them in the first place.
Second Note: (Wa lā tafraḥū)—If someone receives a blessing such as well-being or financial ease, they should not become arrogant or proud.
They should say: “This was not achieved solely by my effort; it was decreed for me by Allah the Exalted.”
(Wa Allāhu lā yuḥibbu kulla mukhtālin fakhūr)—Here, two blameworthy traits are mentioned that arise from denying or ignoring divine decree:
Mukhtāl is one who sees himself as superior—proud within his own self.
Fakhūr is one who shows off that sense of superiority over others.
The difference between the two can be explained in multiple ways:
1. Mukhtāl feels greatness internally, while fakhūr expresses that pride outwardly.
2. Mukhtāl looks at himself with self-admiration; fakhūr looks at others with contempt and considers himself above them.
[24] This verse is a rebuke of miserliness and mentions the consequences of not accepting divine decree (taqdīr).
(Yabkhalūn)—This is general, including miserliness in knowledge, wealth, kindness, and any form of good action.
Ibn Kathīr even said that it includes every sinful act—as withholding good is part of miserliness.
(Wa yaʾmurūna al-nāsa bi’l-bukhl)—meaning, such a person is misguided himself, and also calls others toward misguidance.
He is ḍāll (astray) and muḍill (one who leads others astray).
This is similar to what appears in Sūrah al-Munāfiqūn (63:7): they neither spend nor allow others to spend.