them [before them]}, meaning: the Ansar. His saying: {who were settled in the home}, means: they took Medina as their home. The faith of the Ansar existed before the Muhajirun emigrated to them. {They love}—meaning: the Ansar—{those who emigrated to them, and they do not find in their breasts any need for what they have been given}, meaning: what was distributed to the Muhajirun from the [possessions of] Banu al-Nadir. {And they prefer [others] over themselves, even though they were in dire poverty}.

Abu al-Mutawakkil al-Naji said: "A man among the Muslims spent three days fasting, reaching the evening without finding anything to break his fast with, and he would begin the morning fasting, until a man from the Ansar named Thabit ibn Qays noticed him. He said to his family: 'I am bringing a guest of mine tonight. When you place your food, let one of you stand by the lamp as if to fix it, then extinguish it. Then, move your hands toward the food as if you are eating, but do not eat until our guest is satisfied.' When evening came, his family placed their food. His wife stood by the lamp as if to fix it and extinguished it. Then they began to move their hands toward the food, pretending to eat while not eating, until their guest was satisfied. They had only a single loaf of bread as their sustenance. When morning came, Thabit went to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the Prophet said: 'O Thabit, Allah has marveled at you and your guest last night.' And there was revealed concerning this: {And they prefer others over themselves, even though they were in dire poverty}. {His saying}: {And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul}. The interpretation of Sa'id ibn Jubayr: meaning, he is protected from introducing the unlawful and from withholding Zakat.

Yahya: from Khalid, from al-Hasan, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever pays Zakat..."