سُوْرَةُ مُحَمَّدٍ
Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 38
هَـٰٓأَنتُمْ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ تُدْعَوْنَ لِتُنفِقُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَمِنكُم مَّن يَبْخَلُ ۖ وَمَن يَبْخَلْ فَإِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلْغَنِىُّ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ ۚ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا۟ يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُونُوٓا۟ أَمْثَـٰلَكُم ﴿38﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Behold! You are those who are called to spend in the Cause of Allâh, yet among you are some who are niggardly. And whoever is niggardly, it is only at the expense of his ownself. But Allâh is Rich (Free of all needs), and you (mankind) are poor. And if you turn away (from Islâm and the obedience to Allâh), He will exchange you for some other people and they will not be your likes.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
هَـٰٓأَنتُمْ
hāantum
Here you are
هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ
hāulāi
these
تُدْعَوْنَ
tud'ʿawna
called
لِتُنفِقُوا۟
litunfiqū
to spend
فِى
fī
in
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
فَمِنكُم
faminkum
but among you
مَّن
man
(are some) who
يَبْخَلُ ۖ
yabkhalu
withhold
وَمَن
waman
and whoever
يَبْخَلْ
yabkhal
withholds
فَإِنَّمَا
fa-innamā
then only
يَبْخَلُ
yabkhalu
he withholds
عَن
ʿan
from
نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ
nafsihi
himself
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
But Allah
ٱلْغَنِىُّ
l-ghaniyu
(is) Free of need
وَأَنتُمُ
wa-antumu
while you
ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ ۚ
l-fuqarāu
(are) the needy
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
تَتَوَلَّوْا۟
tatawallaw
you turn away
يَسْتَبْدِلْ
yastabdil
He will replace you
قَوْمًا
qawman
(with) a people
غَيْرَكُمْ
ghayrakum
other than you
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
لَا
lā
not
يَكُونُوٓا۟
yakūnū
they will be
أَمْثَـٰلَكُم
amthālakum
(the) likes of you
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.
38. 1 That is, spend some portion as Zakat and some in the way of Allah.
38. 2 That is, he deprives his own self from the reward of spending in the way of Allah.
38. 3 That is, Allah does not encourage you to spend because He is in need of your wealth; no, He is Ghani, free of need. He gives you this command for your own benefit: firstly, so that your own souls may be purified; secondly, so that the needs of your needy ones may be fulfilled; thirdly, so that you may remain dominant and superior over the enemy. Therefore, you are in need of Allah's mercy and help, not that Allah is in need of you.
38. 4 That is, you turn back from Islam to disbelief.
35. 5 Rather, there will be those who are more obedient to Allah and His Messenger and who spend abundantly in the way of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ was asked about this, so he ﷺ placed his hand on the shoulder of Salman al-Farsi ؓ and said, "This refers to him and his people. By the One in whose hand is my soul, if faith were suspended with the Thurayya star, some men from Persia would attain it." Al-Tirmidhi.
38. 2 That is, he deprives his own self from the reward of spending in the way of Allah.
38. 3 That is, Allah does not encourage you to spend because He is in need of your wealth; no, He is Ghani, free of need. He gives you this command for your own benefit: firstly, so that your own souls may be purified; secondly, so that the needs of your needy ones may be fulfilled; thirdly, so that you may remain dominant and superior over the enemy. Therefore, you are in need of Allah's mercy and help, not that Allah is in need of you.
38. 4 That is, you turn back from Islam to disbelief.
35. 5 Rather, there will be those who are more obedient to Allah and His Messenger and who spend abundantly in the way of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ was asked about this, so he ﷺ placed his hand on the shoulder of Salman al-Farsi ؓ and said, "This refers to him and his people. By the One in whose hand is my soul, if faith were suspended with the Thurayya star, some men from Persia would attain it." Al-Tirmidhi.
