سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 264
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُبْطِلُوا۟ صَدَقَـٰتِكُم بِٱلْمَنِّ وَٱلْأَذَىٰ كَٱلَّذِى يُنفِقُ مَالَهُۥ رِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۖ فَمَثَلُهُۥ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُۥ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُۥ صَلْدًا ۖ لَّا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿264﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allâh, nor in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allâh does not guide the disbelieving people.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe[d]
لَا
lā
(Do) not
تُبْطِلُوا۟
tub'ṭilū
render in vain
صَدَقَـٰتِكُم
ṣadaqātikum
your charities
بِٱلْمَنِّ
bil-mani
with reminders (of it)
وَٱلْأَذَىٰ
wal-adhā
or [the] hurt
كَٱلَّذِى
ka-alladhī
like the one who
يُنفِقُ
yunfiqu
spends
مَالَهُۥ
mālahu
his wealth
رِئَآءَ
riāa
(to) be seen
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
(by) the people
وَلَا
walā
and (does) not
يُؤْمِنُ
yu'minu
believe
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَٱلْيَوْمِ
wal-yawmi
and the Day
ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۖ
l-ākhiri
[the] Last
فَمَثَلُهُۥ
famathaluhu
Then his example
كَمَثَلِ
kamathali
(is) like
صَفْوَانٍ
ṣafwānin
(that of a) smooth rock
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
upon it
تُرَابٌۭ
turābun
(is) dust
فَأَصَابَهُۥ
fa-aṣābahu
then fell on it
وَابِلٌۭ
wābilun
heavy rain
فَتَرَكَهُۥ
fatarakahu
then left it
صَلْدًۭا ۖ
ṣaldan
bare
لَّا
lā
Not
يَقْدِرُونَ
yaqdirūna
they have control
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
anything
مِّمَّا
mimmā
of what
كَسَبُوا۟ ۗ
kasabū
they (have) earned
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
لَا
lā
(does) not
يَهْدِى
yahdī
guide
ٱلْقَوْمَ
l-qawma
the people
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
l-kāfirīna
[the] disbelieving
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
264. 1. In this, firstly it is said that giving charity and then reminding of favors and causing hurtful words is not the way of the believers, but rather the habit of those who are hypocrites and spend for show. Secondly, the example of such spending is like a smooth stone or rock on which there is some soil; someone sows seeds in it to obtain produce, but as soon as a shower of rain falls, all the soil is washed away from it and the stone is left completely bare of soil. That is, just as the rain did not prove beneficial for that stone, in the same way, the show-off will not benefit at all from his charity.
