Select Surah 1. Al-Fatihah 2. Al-Baqarah 3. Ale-Imran 4. An-Nisa' 5. Al-Ma'idah 6. Al-An`am 7. Al-A`raf 8. Al-Anfal 9. At-Taubah 10. Yunus 11. Hud 12. Yusuf 13. Ar-Ra`d 14. Ibrahim 15. Al-Hijr 16. An-Nahl 17. Al-Isra 18. Al-Kahf 19. Maryam 20. Ta Ha 21. Al-Anbiya' 22. Al-Hajj 23. Al-Mu'minun 24. An-Nur 25. Al-Furqan 26. Ash-Shu`ara' 27. An-Naml 28. Al-Qasas 29. Al-`Ankabut 30. Ar-Rum 31. Luqman 32. As-Sajdah 33. Al-Ahzab 34. Saba' 35. Fatir 36. Ya Sin 37. As-Saffat 38. Sad 39. Az-Zumar 40. Ghafir 41. Fussilat 42. Ash-Shura 43. Az-Zukhruf 44. Ad-Dukhan 45. Al-Jathiyah 46. Al-Ahqaf 47. Muhammad 48. Al-Fath 49. Al-Hujurat 50. Qaf 51. Ad-Dhariyat 52. At-Tur 53. An-Najm 54. Al-Qamar 55. Ar-Rahman 56. Al-Waqi`ah 57. Al-Hadid 58. Al-Mujadilah 59. Al-Hashr 60. Al-Mumtahanah 61. As-Saff 62. Al-Jumu`ah 63. Al-Munafiqun 64. At-Taghabun 65. At-Talaq 66. At-Tahrim 67. Al-Mulk 68. Al-Qalam 69. Al-Haqqah 70. Al-Ma`arij 71. Nuh 72. Al-Jinn 73. Al-Muzammil 74. Al-Mudathir 75. Al-Qiyamah 76. Al-Insan 77. Al-Mursalat 78. An-Naba' 79. An-Nazi`at 80. `Abasa 81. At-Takwir 82. Al-Infitar 83. Al-Mutaffifeen 84. Al-Inshiqaq 85. Al-Buruj 86. At-Tariq 87. Al-A`la 88. Al-Ghashiya 89. Al-Fajr 90. Al-Balad 91. Ash-Shams 92. Al-Layl 93. Ad-Duha 94. Ash-Sharh 95. At-Tin 96. Al-`Alaq 97. Al-Qadr 98. Al-Bayyinah 99. Az-Zalzala 100. Al-`Adiyat 101. Al-Qari`ah 102. At-Takathur 103. Al-`Asr 104. Al-Humazah 105. Al-Fil 106. Al-Quraish 107. Al-Ma`un 108. Al-Kauthar 109. Al-Kafirun 110. An-Nasr 111. Al-Masad 112. Al-Ikhlas 113. Al-Falaq 114. An-Nas Select Ayat Overview 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286
Select Surah 1. Al-Fatihah 2. Al-Baqarah 3. Ale-Imran 4. An-Nisa' 5. Al-Ma'idah 6. Al-An`am 7. Al-A`raf 8. Al-Anfal 9. At-Taubah 10. Yunus 11. Hud 12. Yusuf 13. Ar-Ra`d 14. Ibrahim 15. Al-Hijr 16. An-Nahl 17. Al-Isra 18. Al-Kahf 19. Maryam 20. Ta Ha 21. Al-Anbiya' 22. Al-Hajj 23. Al-Mu'minun 24. An-Nur 25. Al-Furqan 26. Ash-Shu`ara' 27. An-Naml 28. Al-Qasas 29. Al-`Ankabut 30. Ar-Rum 31. Luqman 32. As-Sajdah 33. Al-Ahzab 34. Saba' 35. Fatir 36. Ya Sin 37. As-Saffat 38. Sad 39. Az-Zumar 40. Ghafir 41. Fussilat 42. Ash-Shura 43. Az-Zukhruf 44. Ad-Dukhan 45. Al-Jathiyah 46. Al-Ahqaf 47. Muhammad 48. Al-Fath 49. Al-Hujurat 50. Qaf 51. Ad-Dhariyat 52. At-Tur 53. An-Najm 54. Al-Qamar 55. Ar-Rahman 56. Al-Waqi`ah 57. Al-Hadid 58. Al-Mujadilah 59. Al-Hashr 60. Al-Mumtahanah 61. As-Saff 62. Al-Jumu`ah 63. Al-Munafiqun 64. At-Taghabun 65. At-Talaq 66. At-Tahrim 67. Al-Mulk 68. Al-Qalam 69. Al-Haqqah 70. Al-Ma`arij 71. Nuh 72. Al-Jinn 73. Al-Muzammil 74. Al-Mudathir 75. Al-Qiyamah 76. Al-Insan 77. Al-Mursalat 78. An-Naba' 79. An-Nazi`at 80. `Abasa 81. At-Takwir 82. Al-Infitar 83. Al-Mutaffifeen 84. Al-Inshiqaq 85. Al-Buruj 86. At-Tariq 87. Al-A`la 88. Al-Ghashiya 89. Al-Fajr 90. Al-Balad 91. Ash-Shams 92. Al-Layl 93. Ad-Duha 94. Ash-Sharh 95. At-Tin 96. Al-`Alaq 97. Al-Qadr 98. Al-Bayyinah 99. Az-Zalzala 100. Al-`Adiyat 101. Al-Qari`ah 102. At-Takathur 103. Al-`Asr 104. Al-Humazah 105. Al-Fil 106. Al-Quraish 107. Al-Ma`un 108. Al-Kauthar 109. Al-Kafirun 110. An-Nasr 111. Al-Masad 112. Al-Ikhlas 113. Al-Falaq 114. An-Nas Select Ayat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286
Surah al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2 : 267
Overview - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 - 49 - 50 - 51 - 52 - 53 - 54 - 55 - 56 - 57 - 58 - 59 - 60 - 61 - 62 - 63 - 64 - 65 - 66 - 67 - 68 - 69 - 70 - 71 - 72 - 73 - 74 - 75 - 76 - 77 - 78 - 79 - 80 - 81 - 82 - 83 - 84 - 85 - 86 - 87 - 88 - 89 - 90 - 91 - 92 - 93 - 94 - 95 - 96 - 97 - 98 - 99 - 100 - 101 - 102 - 103 - 104 - 105 - 106 - 107 - 108 - 109 - 110 - 111 - 112 - 113 - 114 - 115 - 116 - 117 - 118 - 119 - 120 - 121 - 122 - 123 - 124 - 125 - 126 - 127 - 128 - 129 - 130 - 131 - 132 - 133 - 134 - 135 - 136 - 137 - 138 - 139 - 140 - 141 - 142 - 143 - 144 - 145 - 146 - 147 - 148 - 149 - 150 - 151 - 152 - 153 - 154 - 155 - 156 - 157 - 158 - 159 - 160 - 161 - 162 - 163 - 164 - 165 - 166 - 167 - 168 - 169 - 170 - 171 - 172 - 173 - 174 - 175 - 176 - 177 - 178 - 179 - 180 - 181 - 182 - 183 - 184 - 185 - 186 - 187 - 188 - 189 - 190 - 191 - 192 - 193 - 194 - 195 - 196 - 197 - 198 - 199 - 200 - 201 - 202 - 203 - 204 - 205 - 206 - 207 - 208 - 209 - 210 - 211 - 212 - 213 - 214 - 215 - 216 - 217 - 218 - 219 - 220 - 221 - 222 - 223 - 224 - 225 - 226 - 227 - 228 - 229 - 230 - 231 - 232 - 233 - 234 - 235 - 236 - 237 - 238 - 239 - 240 - 241 - 242 - 243 - 244 - 245 - 246 - 247 - 248 - 249 - 250 - 251 - 252 - 253 - 254 - 255 - 256 - 257 - 258 - 259 - 260 - 261 - 262 - 263 - 264 - 265 - 266 - 267 - 268 - 269 - 270 - 271 - 272 - 273 - 274 - 275 - 276 - 277 - 278 - 279 - 280 - 281 - 282 - 283 - 284 - 285 - 286 - DISPLAY ALL
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَٰتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّآ أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا۟ ٱلْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِـَٔاخِذِيهِ إِلَّآ أَن تُغْمِضُوا۟ فِيهِ ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ
O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned and from that which We have produced for you from the earth. And do not aim toward the defective therefrom, spending [from that] while you would not take it [yourself] except with closed eyes. And know that Allāh is Free of need and Praiseworthy.
O you who believe! Spend of the good things which you have (legally) earned, and of that which We have produced from the earth for you, and do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it, (though) you would not accept it save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein. And know that Allah is Rich (Free of all wants), and Worthy of all praise.
O ye who believe! Spend of the good things which ye have earned, and of that which We bring forth from the earth for you, and seek not the bad (with intent) to spend thereof (in charity) when ye would not take it for yourselves save with disdain; and know that Allah is Absolute, Owner of Praise.
O ye who believe! Give of the good things which ye have (honourably) earned, and of the fruits of the earth which We have produced for you, and do not even aim at getting anything which is bad, in order that out of it ye may give away something, when ye yourselves would not receive it except with closed eyes. And know that Allah is Free of all wants, and worthy of all praise.
alladhīna
āmanū
believe[d]
anfiqū
ṭayyibāti
(the) good things
kasabtum
akhrajnā
We brought forth
l-arḍi
tayammamū
aim (at)
l-khabītha
tunfiqūna
you spend
walastum
while you (would) not
biākhidhīhi
illā
tugh'miḍū
(with) close(d) eyes
wa-iʿ'lamū
ghaniyyun
(is) Self-Sufficient
ḥamīdun
Praiseworthy
The sūrah goes on to outline the nature of charity, its methods, manners and outcome. Following the ethics and principles of charity outlined in the preceding verses, one should give of the best in one's possession, rather than of the less worthy, which one would not accept if offered in trade, unless one could strike a bargain price. God has no need to accept charity out of people's second-rate possessions.
This is a broad principle, valid for all time and all types of property, whether earned, cultivated, extracted or mined, whether known at the time of the Prophet Muĥammad or not. Not a single kind of earnings or capital, acquired at any time, is exempt from the obligation of charity, and zakāt accrues on it all, in accordance with the rates and proportions specified by the Prophet for the various types of capital known then. These form the standard by which percentages and proportions are determined for new types of wealth, capital or earnings.
By way of illustration, and to appreciate the realities the Qur'ān was dealing with at the time of its revelation, it would be instructive to recall the circumstances in which this verse was revealed to the Prophet.
God, after all, "is free of all want, ever to be praised" People donate for their own good, as their donations are of no benefit to God in any way. So they should give willingly and with a clear conscience. When they do, God will accept their generosity and reward them for it, although it is He who has bestowed the wealth on them in the first place.
لَن تَنَالُوا۟ ٱلْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِن شَىْءٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ "Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love. And whatever you spend - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it." (3:92)
The scholars are unanimous that Surah al-Baqarah is Madani and that it was the first Surah revealed in Madinah. [Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in Fath al-Bari no. 160/8].
Despite it being the first Surah to be revealed in Madinah, it contains Ayaat from a later period also. In fact, according to Ibn Abbas [as mentioned in Ibn Kathir] the last Ayat revealed to the Prophet was Ayat no. 281 from Surah al-Baqarah and this occurred 8 days or so before his death [which corresponds to the year 11 Hijri].
Ibn Jarīr al-Ţabarī reports on the authority of al-Barā' ibn `Āzib that the verse was revealed with reference to the Anşār (the Muslims from Madinah). As the harvest season for dates approached, people would take bunches of dates that had just turned colour but had not fully ripened and tie them to posts in the Prophet's Mosque, for the poor among the Muhājirūn (the Muslims from Makkah) to eat. Some, however, would take dates of the worst quality and mix them with good ones and think nothing of it. It was then that God revealed the verse, which said: "Do not choose for your spending the inferior things which you yourselves would not accept without turning your eyes away in disdain."
Similar reports were related by al-Ĥākim and Ibn Abī Ĥātim, all of which go to show that, as well as having assiduous and exemplary members, a Muslim community may also have members who need to be educated and informed of their duties and obligations. The Anşār's commendable record of tireless sacrifice and support for the cause of Islam did not preclude them from being criticised and censured when some of them failed to live up to the standards and obligations of Islam.
Overview (Verses 267 - 271)
Giving Away the Best
The sūrah goes on to outline the nature of charity, its methods, manners and outcome: "Believers, spend on others out of the good things you have earned, and out of that which We bring forth for you from the earth. Do not choose for your spending the inferior things which you yourselves would not accept without turning your eyes away in disdain. Know that God is free of all want, ever to be praised." (Verse 267)
Following the ethics and principles of charity outlined in the preceding verses, one should give of the best in one's possession, rather than of the less worthy, which one would not accept if offered in trade, unless one could strike a bargain price. God has no need to accept charity out of people's second-rate possessions.
By way of illustration, and to appreciate the realities the Qur'ān was dealing with at the time of its revelation, it would be instructive to recall the circumstances in which this verse was revealed to the Prophet. Ibn Jarīr al-Ţabarī reports on the authority of al-Barā' ibn `Āzib that the verse was revealed with reference to the Anşār (the Muaslims from Madinah). As the harvest season for dates approached, people would take bunches of dates that had just turned colour but had not fully ripened and tie them to posts in the Prophet's Mosque, for the poor among the Muhājirūn (the Muslims from Makkah) to eat. Some, however, would take dates of the worst quality and mix them with good ones and think nothing of it. It was then that God revealed the verse, which said: "Do not choose for your spending the inferior things which you yourselves would not accept without turning your eyes away in disdain."
Similar reports were related by al-Ĥākim and Ibn Abī Ĥātim, all of which go to show that, as well as having assiduous and exemplary members, a Muslim community may also have members who need to be educated and informed of their duties and obligations. The Anşār's commendable record of tireless sacrifice and support for the cause of Islam did not preclude them from being criticized and censured when some of them failed to live up to the standards and obligations of Islam.
God, after all, "is free of all want, ever to be praised" (Verse 267) People donate for their own good, as their donations are of no benefit to God in any way. So they should give willingly and with a clear conscience. When they do, God will accept their generosity and reward them for it, although it is He who has bestowed the wealth on them in the first place.
The sūrah goes on to reveal to the believers that niggardliness and the tendency to give to charity out of one's inferior possessions are motivated by lack of faith in God and by fear of poverty. Such fear is only entertained by those who have no trust in God and their accountability to Him. It identifies these motives clearly, pointing to their original instigator: "Satan promises you poverty and bids you to commit indecency, whereas God promises you His forgiveness and bounty. God is Munificent, All-Knowing. He grants wisdom to whom He wills. He who is granted wisdom has indeed been granted abundant good. Yet only those with sound minds would take heed" (Verses 268-269)
The sūrah is telling the believers that Satan insinuates into their minds a fear of poverty in order to arouse their selfishness and greed, and that it is he that entices them to transgress and commit indecencies. This fear was responsible for the practice of burying one's young daughters alive in pre-Islamic Arabia, while greed and excessive lust for wealth led some to gorge themselves on usury — both abhorrent and shameful practices.
In contrast to Satan's destructive exhortations, God promises forgiveness and generosity and provides sustenance and livelihood for everyone, in return for their generosity, because He is beneficent and fully aware of people's innermost thoughts and intentions. Furthermore, "He grants wisdom to whom He wills. He who is granted wisdom has indeed been granted abundant good." (Verse 269) God grants wisdom and common sense to enable people to reason and evaluate their actions and to seek moderation and forethought in their attitudes and behaviour. What a great gift, indeed!
"Yet only those with sound minds would take heed" (Verse 269) They are the ones who appreciate and understand and judge matters sensibly. As in all matters, it is up to God's absolute will to determine who deserves to receive the gift of wisdom, but the sūrah reassures those who sincerely strive for wisdom and guidance that they shall not be denied these gifts.
"Satan promises you poverty and bids you to commit indecency, whereas God promises you His forgiveness and bounty." (Verse 268) This statement asserts the fundamental truth that, in this life, there are only two clear choices to make: God's way or the way of Satan. Man can either heed God's advice or act on Satan's promises; rejecting one way means following the other. Only one way, the way of God, leads to the truth and all other routes belong to Satan.
This truth is frequently and deliberately emphasized in the Qur'ān in order to leave those who reject God's path with no argument or excuses. The path of truth is one and well defined, and people are free to take it or turn away from it. They will face the consequences of their choice.
The sūrah continues with the theme of charity, emphasizing that God is fully aware of what people give and how they give. He will reward them for both the act of giving and the intention behind it: "Whatever alms you give or vows you make are known to God. The evildoers shall have none to help them. If you give alms openly, that is well; but if you give them to the needy in private, it is even better for you, and will atone for some of your bad deeds. God is aware of all you do." (Verses 270-271)
Giving, in this sense, refers to all kinds of alms and charity, voluntary as well as obligatory, for private or public causes. Vows and pledges are made by individuals for personal reasons and must be made for the sake of God and for no other cause. Offerings made by unbelievers to individuals or bogus deities are totally unacceptable and condemned by Islam.
The fact that God is aware of one's intentions and actions is reassuring to the believer, arousing within him feelings of respect and eagerness to shun greed and ostentation, as well as total ease that comes from having fulfilled his obligations of giving for God's sake and of showing gratitude to God for His generosity and beneficence.
Honouring one's obligations is fair, and the opposite is evil and unjust. In this respect, people are two types. There are those who fulfil their obligations towards God, and live enjoying God's blessings. On the other side, those who deny God's generosity and show no gratitude for what He gives them, and withhold it from those in need, are condemned as evildoers who have violated their covenant with God and done wrong to themselves as well as to others, and they "shall have none to help them".
The sūrah urges that voluntary charity is best given in private, to ensure that it is free from all traces of flaunting and pretension. However, publicizing the giving of obligatory charity could in fact be beneficial because it would promote the practice and help establish it in society. Hence, both ways are acceptable: "If you give alms openly, that is well; but if you give them to the needy in private, it is even better for you." (Verse 271) This statement covers both cases, giving each its appropriate weight, promising atonement from sin for both of them: "and will atone for some of your bad deeds." (Verse 271) It also evokes consciousness of God on the one hand, and confidence and reassurance on the other. Furthermore, it confirms that all actions and intentions are known to God, who is aware of all that people do.
We cannot fail to note the elaborate and extensive way in which the ethics of giving for charity are covered in the sūrah, from which two important conclusions can be drawn.
First is the fact that Islam recognizes human nature, its propensity to be selfish and tight-fisted and its constant need for motivation and encouragement. Only in this way can human nature overcome these tendencies and aspire towards the noble and benevolent spheres God wishes man to reach.
Second is the nature of the community the Qur'ān was addressing. The Arabs were particularly known for their hospitality and generous disposition, but these were tarnished by their tendency to flaunt their generosity and by their pursuit of fame, acclaim and recognition. It would not, therefore, have been easy to teach them to give all that up and give of their wealth purely for the sake of God. The task required extensive education and motivation to instruct them in self-denial and dedication to God's cause, in which Islam has achieved unparalleled success.
By way of illustration, and to appreciate the realities the Qur'ān was dealing with at the time of its revelation, it would be instructive to recall the circumstances in which this verse was revealed to the Prophet. Ibn Jarīr al-Ţabarī reports on the authority of al-Barā' ibn `Āzib that the verse was revealed with reference to the Anşār (the Muslims from Madinah). As the harvest season for dates approached, people would take bunches of dates that had just turned colour but had not fully ripened and tie them to posts in the Prophet's Mosque, for the poor among the Muhājirūn (the Muslims from Makkah) to eat. Some, however, would take dates of the worst quality and mix them with good ones and think nothing of it. It was then that God revealed the verse, which said: "Do not choose for your spending the inferior things which you yourselves would not accept without turning your eyes away in disdain."