Surah 2. Al-Baqarah

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Verses [Section]: 1-7[1], 8-20 [2], 21-29 [3], 30-39 [4], 40-46 [5], 47-59 [6], 60-61 [7], 62-71 [8], 72-82 [9], 83-86 [10], 87-96 [11], 97-103 [12], 104-112 [13], 113-121 [14], 122-129 [15], 130-141 [16], 142-147 [17], 148-151 [18], 152-163 [19], 164-167 [20], 168-176 [21], 177-182 [22], 183-188 [23], 189-196 [24], 197-210 [25], 211-216 [26], 217-221 [27], 222-228 [28], 229-231 [29], 232-235 [30], 236-242 [31], 243-248 [32], 249-253 [33], 254-257 [34], 258-260 [35], 261-266 [36], 267-273 [37], 274-281 [38], 282-283 [39], 284-286 [40]

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Quran Text of Verse 267-273یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُوْۤاbelieve[d]!اَنْفِقُوْاSpendمِنْfromطَیِّبٰتِ(the) good thingsمَاthatكَسَبْتُمْyou have earnedوَ مِمَّاۤand whateverاَخْرَجْنَاWe brought forthلَكُمْfor youمِّنَfromالْاَرْضِ ۪the earthوَ لَاAnd (do) notتَیَمَّمُواaim atالْخَبِیْثَthe badمِنْهُof itتُنْفِقُوْنَyou spendوَ لَسْتُمْwhile you (would) notبِاٰخِذِیْهِtake itاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْ[that]تُغْمِضُوْا(with) close(d) eyesفِیْهِ ؕ[in it]وَ اعْلَمُوْۤاand knowاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahغَنِیٌّ(is) Self-Sufficientحَمِیْدٌ Praiseworthy اَلشَّیْطٰنُThe Shaitaanیَعِدُكُمُpromises youالْفَقْرَ[the] povertyوَ یَاْمُرُكُمْand orders youبِالْفَحْشَآءِ ۚto immoralityوَ اللّٰهُwhile Allahیَعِدُكُمْpromises youمَّغْفِرَةًforgivenessمِّنْهُfrom Himوَ فَضْلًا ؕand bountyوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahوَاسِعٌ(is) All-EncompassingعَلِیْمٌۖۙAll-Knowing یُّؤْتِیHe grantsالْحِكْمَةَ[the] wisdomمَنْ(to) whomیَّشَآءُ ۚHe willsوَ مَنْand whoeverیُّؤْتَis grantedالْحِكْمَةَ[the] wisdomفَقَدْthen certainlyاُوْتِیَhe is grantedخَیْرًاgoodكَثِیْرًا ؕabundantوَ مَاAnd noneیَذَّكَّرُremembersاِلَّاۤexceptاُولُواthoseالْاَلْبَابِ (of) understanding 2. Al-Baqarah Page 46وَ مَاۤAnd whateverاَنْفَقْتُمْyou spendمِّنْ(out) ofنَّفَقَةٍ(your) expendituresاَوْorنَذَرْتُمْyou vowمِّنْofنَّذْرٍvow(s)فَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahیَعْلَمُهٗ ؕknows itوَ مَاand notلِلظّٰلِمِیْنَfor the wrongdoersمِنْanyاَنْصَارٍ helpers اِنْIfتُبْدُواyou discloseالصَّدَقٰتِthe charitiesفَنِعِمَّاthen wellهِیَ ۚit (is)وَ اِنْBut ifتُخْفُوْهَاyou keep it secretوَ تُؤْتُوْهَاand give itالْفُقَرَآءَ(to) the poorفَهُوَthen itخَیْرٌ(is) betterلَّكُمْ ؕfor youوَ یُكَفِّرُAnd He will removeعَنْكُمْfrom youمِّنْ[of]سَیِّاٰتِكُمْ ؕyour evil deedsوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahبِمَاwith whatتَعْمَلُوْنَyou doخَبِیْرٌ (is) All-Aware لَیْسَNotعَلَیْكَon youهُدٰىهُمْ(is) their guidanceوَ لٰكِنَّ[and] butاللّٰهَAllahیَهْدِیْguidesمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُ ؕHe willsوَ مَاAnd whateverتُنْفِقُوْاyou spendمِنْofخَیْرٍgoodفَلِاَنْفُسِكُمْ ؕthen it is for yourselfوَ مَاand notتُنْفِقُوْنَyou spendاِلَّاexceptابْتِغَآءَseekingوَجْهِ(the) faceاللّٰهِ ؕ(of) Allahوَ مَاAnd whateverتُنْفِقُوْاyou spendمِنْofخَیْرٍgoodیُّوَفَّwill be repaid in fullاِلَیْكُمْto youوَ اَنْتُمْand youلَا(will) notتُظْلَمُوْنَ be wronged لِلْفُقَرَآءِFor the poorالَّذِیْنَthose whoاُحْصِرُوْاare wrapped upفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahلَاnotیَسْتَطِیْعُوْنَthey are ableضَرْبًا(to) move aboutفِیinالْاَرْضِ ؗthe earthیَحْسَبُهُمُThink (about) themالْجَاهِلُthe ignorant oneاَغْنِیَآءَ(that they are) self-sufficientمِنَ(because) ofالتَّعَفُّفِ ۚ(their) restraintتَعْرِفُهُمْyou recognize themبِسِیْمٰىهُمْ ۚby their markلَاNotیَسْـَٔلُوْنَ(do) they askالنَّاسَthe peopleاِلْحَافًا ؕwith importunityوَ مَاAnd whateverتُنْفِقُوْاyou spendمِنْofخَیْرٍgoodفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahبِهٖof itعَلِیْمٌ۠(is) All-Knower

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Translation of Verse 267-273

267. O you who believe ! spend of the good things⁴⁴⁶ which you have earned and of the fruits of the earth which we have produced for you,⁴⁴⁷ and do not seek the bad to spend thereof (in charity) when you would not take it for yourself except with disdain. And know that Allah is free of all wants and worthy of all praise.

268. The Devil threatens you with poverty and bids you to lewd conduct.⁴⁴⁸ Allah promises you His forgiveness and bounties. And Allah is All-Embracing, Allknowing.

269. He gives wisdom⁴⁴⁹ to whom He pleases; and he to whom wisdom is given, receives truly abundant good. But none understands except men of wisdom.

270. And whatever you spend in charity or make a “NAZAR” (vow),⁴⁵⁰ verily Allah knows it. And wrong-doers have no helpers.⁴⁵¹

271. If you give charity openly even so it is good, but if you give it secretly to the needy, it is much better for you,⁴⁵² and He will remove some of your ill-deeds. And Allah is well aware of what you do.

272. To set them on the right path is not your responsibility⁴⁵³ but Allah sets on right path those whom He pleases. And whatever good thing you spend in charity, it is for yourselves, when you do not spend except in search of Allah’s pleasure; therefore whatever good things you spend it will be repaid to you in full and you will not be wronged.

273. (Charity is) for those in need, who in Allah’s cause, are restricted (from travel) and cannot move about⁴⁵⁴ in the land. The ignorant man thinks because of their selfrespect that they are free from want. You shall recognise them by their appearance. They do not beg of men with importunity. And whatever good thing you spend, indeed Allah knows it.

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Commentary

446. Only that charity is recognized and accepted by Allah which is given from the lawful and good earnings. The charity which is given from the unlawfully earned money and from objectionable sources is not acceptable to Allah, e.g. the money received from interest, gambling, sale of liquor or forbidden things, acts of lewdness and its propagation, theft, fraud, etc., etc. However big an amount from unlawful sources a man may spend in charity, it would not be acceptable to Allah; it would be outright rejected.

447. This instruction regarding spending of money is in respect of Zakat (compulsory) and Nafil sadquat (Voluntary charity) but the reference to the charity from the income of the produce of land is only in respect of Zakat (compulsory charity) of harvest and the reference to the charity from one’s own earning is in respect of Zakat of articles of trade

448. That is: The Satan or the Devil does not want that man should spend his money for good causes and that is why he threatens man with poverty which is likely to result from charity. He persuades man to spend his money in lewd and immoral acts. There are numerous innovations of shamelessness e.g. magzines with nude photos, obsene novels, lewd songs, immoral dance ‘ensembles, clubs for promoting indecency, and immoral films which destroy the character of the viewers etc---- all these require men to spend lots of money and keep them away from spending his income for good causes.

449. In the text, the word ‘Hikmat’ is used which means understanding, wisdom and sagacity .The real wealth in this world is not money or property but that wisdom which promotes foresightedness in a man and which directs him to those acts in which his real benefit is hidden. This wisdom depends on the grant of Allah. Allah grants this wisdom to whomsoever He pleases and this pleasure of Allah is also based on wisdom and good reason He fills the coffers of those persons, with pearls of wisdom who avoid the lures of the material world and live merely for seeking the pleasure of Allah and who sacrifice their wealth in His cause unhesitatingly.

450. The text uses the word “Nazr”, which means to take a vow to do certain thing on condition if such and such a thing happens. A man vows that if he achieves his object he would give a hundred rupees as alms to the poor or he would observe fast for a week, etc. This kind of vow-taking is known as Nazr.In Islam the vow is taken only in the name of Allah. To take a vow in the name of any other being is forbidden and is a sin because taking of a vow is also a kind of worship which a man performs as a token of gratitude and in view of the fact that whatever a man gets in this world is from Allah only, there is no sense of feeling gratitude to any being other than Allah.

Islam has not encouraged the practice of vowtaking. However, if a man takes a vow and subsequently is favoured by Allah and he achieves his object, then he must fulfil his vow because this is a promise and covenant with Allah and to neglect this promise would be a moral defect.

451. Here wrongdoers (Zalim ) are meant to be those who consider the worldly wealth and property as the most important things and avoid spending money for charitable purposes or if they spend any money for charity, their main purpose is to show off or to exhibit it to other men.

452. Some times giving of charity openly is advantageous for example to persuade or encourage others to spend money in charity or to help encourage some collective movement but if there is no such purpose behind the charity then it is better to give it in a concealed way. In this way a person is saved from hypocrisy and the needy persons are spared the sad experience of feeling hurt and inferior. In the Hadith it is stated that on the Day of Judgment Allah will bring under His shade of grace those persons who had given charity in such a concealed way that the left hand did not know what the right had given.

453. Points to the fact that the needy person should be helped regardless of his being a Muslim or a non-Muslim. The responsibility of giving guidance to others is not on you therefore do not hesitate to help a non-Muslim needy person on the ground that he has not accepted the Divine Guidance (Faith) and that if you would help a person with the aim of seeking Allah’s pleasure, then Allah will give you full reward for that act of charity.

454. That is : They have become so busy in serving the cause of religion that they are unable to devote any time or effort for earning their livelihood and on account of their self-respect are not able to express their need before others. From their looks it can be recognized that they are in need of help. In those days the best example of such persons were”Ashab-e-Suffa’ who devoted their whole time in teaching religion to others and spreading the faith that they did not get any time for earning their own bread.