سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 271
إِن تُبْدُوا۟ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِىَ ۖ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا ٱلْفُقَرَآءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ ﴿271﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
If you disclose your Sadaqât (alms-giving), it is well; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, that is better for you. (Allâh) will expiate you some of your sins. And Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِن
in
If
تُبْدُوا۟
tub'dū
you disclose
ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ
l-ṣadaqāti
the charities
فَنِعِمَّا
faniʿimmā
then good
هِىَ ۖ
hiya
it (is)
وَإِن
wa-in
But if
تُخْفُوهَا
tukh'fūhā
you keep it secret
وَتُؤْتُوهَا
watu'tūhā
and give it
ٱلْفُقَرَآءَ
l-fuqarāa
(to) the poor
فَهُوَ
fahuwa
then it
خَيْرٌۭ
khayrun
(is) better
لَّكُمْ ۚ
lakum
for you
وَيُكَفِّرُ
wayukaffiru
And He will remove
عَنكُم
ʿankum
from you
مِّن
min
[of]
سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ ۗ
sayyiātikum
your evil deeds
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
بِمَا
bimā
with what
تَعْمَلُونَ
taʿmalūna
you do
خَبِيرٌۭ
khabīrun
(is) All-Aware
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.
271. 1. From this it is understood that in general circumstances, giving charity secretly is more virtuous, except in cases where giving charity openly serves to encourage others. If there is no intention of showing off, then those who take the initiative in such situations can attain a special virtue, as is clear from the ahadith. However, apart from these specific cases, it is better to give charity and alms quietly. The Prophet ﷺ said that among those who will be granted the shade of Allah’s Throne on the Day of Judgment is the person who gave charity so secretly that his left hand did not know what his right hand spent. Some scholars have restricted the virtue of secrecy in charity only to voluntary charities and have considered it better to make it public when paying zakat. But the generality of the Quran includes both voluntary and obligatory charities (Ibn Kathir), and the generality of the hadith also supports this.
