Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 270–274

2. Al-Baqara · The Cow

Madinan286 verses

وَمَآ أَنفَقْتُم مِّن نَّفَقَةٍ أَوْ نَذَرْتُم مِّن نَّذْرٍۢ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُهُۥ ۗ وَمَا لِلظَّٰلِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ

2:270Allah indeed knows whatever charity you may give, or vows that you may vow, and the wrongdoers have no helpers.1

إِن تُبْدُوا۟ ٱلصَّدَقَٰتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِىَ ۖ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا ٱلْفُقَرَآءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌۭ

2:271If you disclose your charities, that is well, but if you hide them and give them to the poor, that is better for you, and it will atone for some of your misdeeds, and Allah is well aware of what you do.2

۞ لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَىٰهُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ فَلِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ

2:272It is not up to you to guide them; rather, it is Allah who guides whomever He wishes. Whatever wealth you spend, it is for your own benefit, as you do not spend but to seek Allah’s pleasure, and whatever wealth you spend will be repaid to you in full and you will not be wronged.3

لِلْفُقَرَآءِ ٱلَّذِينَ أُحْصِرُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ضَرْبًۭا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَحْسَبُهُمُ ٱلْجَاهِلُ أَغْنِيَآءَ مِنَ ٱلتَّعَفُّفِ تَعْرِفُهُم بِسِيمَٰهُمْ لَا يَسْـَٔلُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ إِلْحَافًۭا ۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ

2:273[The charities are] for the poor who are straitened in the way of Allah, not capable of moving about in the land [for trade]. The unaware suppose them to be well-off because of their reserve. You recognize them by their mark; they do not ask the people importunately. And whatever wealth you may spend, Allah indeed knows it.45

ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُم بِٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ سِرًّۭا وَعَلَانِيَةًۭ فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

2:274Those who give their wealth by night and day, secretly and openly, they shall have their reward near their Lord, and they will have no fear, nor will they grieve.

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 270

1.At every place after the discussion of problems of charity the following points are explained in detail that Allah is aware of your charity and will indeed reward you but if you spend against Allah’s permission, for whomsoever it might be, it will not be of any use. Charity is in all cases good whether it be absolutely secret or given openly that other people are also motivated, provided it is not for showoff.

Verse 272

2.Some people stopped helping their poor relatives that why they did not become Muslims. The Lord of the Worlds clarified that it is not your responsibility. Your job was only to inform them and ‘after this the matter rests with Us.’ And Our punishment is in the hereafter. We do not stop the sustenance of anyone in the world.

Verse 273

3.There were about 300 or 400 refugees in Medina who had no place to stay. They had came from different places where they were persecuted and they had all gathered here. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) settled them in Suffa, a part of the Mosque. They used to teach Quran to the people and if need arose they used to participate in Jihad. The Quran has clarified that there is nothing better than spending on these people and they are eligible for every kind of Sadaqah. This does not in any way imply that Islam wants to feed them while they do nothing. Rather the Ashaab-e-Suffa had three qualities: (i) They were busy in the way of Allah, that is they were serving the faith. (ii) They were not capable of going out and working. (iii) They were having shame, chastity and were indisposed to beg. (iv) Their faces showed the signs of poverty. (v) They never asked for anything from the people. If there are such people, Islam commands us to maintain them and not every lazy and useless person.

Verse 274

4.According to the tradition of Ibne Abbas this verse was revealed in the honour of Ali (a.s.). He had four dirhams and he spent them one by one in the way of Allah and this ayat was revealed.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    Nafqa - Any kind of expenditure or to make some expenses obligatory upon oneself for the sake of Allah.

  2. 2

    Takfeer - It is in the meaning of veiling. If one veils the poverty of the poor people the Almighty Allah will veil ones sins.

  3. 3

    This guidance is in the meaning of taking upto the aimed destination.

  4. 4

    Ta’affuf - Not to commit a deed due to chastity.

  5. 5

    Ilhaaf - To beg importunately.

  6. Benefit

    It is recorded in traditions that the Almighty Allah will keep under the special shade of His mercy seven types of people: The just ruler, the righteous youth, those who are attached to the mosque, those who love Allah much, one who is invited by a woman towards fornication and he replies that he fears God, those who give Sadaqahs secretly, and those who continue the remembrance of Allah. The 273rd ayat shows that they are not professional beggars but even if they are compelled to beg due to poverty, they do not make it a habit.