Skip to content
MyDeenTools

Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 273of 286

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﴿٢٧٣

Translation (Sahih International)

[Charity is] for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allah, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at all]. And whatever you spend of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.

Word-by-word meaning

لِلْفُقَرَآءِlil'fuqarāiFor the poor
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
أُحْصِرُوا۟uḥ'ṣirūare wrapped up
فِىin
سَبِيلِsabīli(the) way
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
لَاnot
يَسْتَطِيعُونَyastaṭīʿūnathey are able
ضَرْبًۭاḍarban(to) move about
فِىin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
يَحْسَبُهُمُyaḥsabuhumuThink (about) them
ٱلْجَاهِلُl-jāhiluthe ignorant one
أَغْنِيَآءَaghniyāa(that they are) self-sufficient
مِنَmina(because) of
ٱلتَّعَفُّفِl-taʿafufi(their) restraint
تَعْرِفُهُمtaʿrifuhumyou recognize them
بِسِيمَـٰهُمْbisīmāhumby their mark
لَاNot
يَسْـَٔلُونَyasalūna(do) they ask
ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsathe people
إِلْحَافًۭا ۗil'ḥāfanwith importunity
وَمَاwamāAnd whatever
تُنفِقُوا۟tunfiqūyou spend
مِنْminof
خَيْرٍۢkhayringood
فَإِنَّfa-innathen indeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
بِهِۦbihiof it
عَلِيمٌʿalīmun(is) All-Knower

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Giving Charity to PolytheistsAbu `Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that they, "Disliked giving charity to their polytheist relatives, but were later on allowed to give it to them when they inquired about this matter, and this Ayah was revealed,لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلاًّنفُسِكُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلاَّ ابْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تُظْلَمُونَ(N...

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

Share this verse with others

WhatsAppX

These tools are free because of generous Muslims.

$10/month keeps this platform free for 50,000 people. Every visit earns you reward — Sadaqah Jariyah.

Support this project