سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 219
۞ يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلْخَمْرِ وَٱلْمَيْسِرِ ۖ قُلْ فِيهِمَآ إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَـٰفِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَآ أَكْبَرُ مِن نَّفْعِهِمَا ۗ وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ قُلِ ٱلْعَفْوَ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿219﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They ask you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit." And they ask you what they ought to spend. Say: "That which is beyond your needs." Thus Allâh makes clear to you His Laws in order that you may give thought."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ
yasalūnaka
They ask you
عَنِ
ʿani
about
ٱلْخَمْرِ
l-khamri
[the] intoxicants
وَٱلْمَيْسِرِ ۖ
wal-maysiri
and [the] games of chance
قُلْ
qul
Say
فِيهِمَآ
fīhimā
In both of them
إِثْمٌۭ
ith'mun
(is) a sin
كَبِيرٌۭ
kabīrun
great
وَمَنَـٰفِعُ
wamanāfiʿu
and (some) benefits
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnāsi
for [the] people
وَإِثْمُهُمَآ
wa-ith'muhumā
But sin of both of them
أَكْبَرُ
akbaru
(is) greater
مِن
min
than
نَّفْعِهِمَا ۗ
nafʿihimā
(the) benefit of (the) two
وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ
wayasalūnaka
And they ask you
مَاذَا
mādhā
what
يُنفِقُونَ
yunfiqūna
they (should) spend
قُلِ
quli
Say
ٱلْعَفْوَ ۗ
l-ʿafwa
The surplus
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
يُبَيِّنُ
yubayyinu
makes clear
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَكُمُ
lakumu
to you
ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ
l-āyāti
[the] Verses
لَعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
tatafakkarūna
ponder
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 219) ➊ {الْخَمْرِ:} Wine, its explanation was given by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) himself. Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ کُلُّ مُسْکِرٍ خَمْرٌ وَ کُلُّ مُسْکِرٍ حَرَامٌ] [ مسلم، الأشربۃ، باب بیان أن کل مسکر… : 2003/74] "Every intoxicating thing is khamr (wine), and every intoxicant is forbidden." Some people declared only grape wine as "khamr" and, by giving other names to the rest, made them lawful. These people are exactly as described in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "There will be people from my Ummah who will make lawful the private parts of women, silk, khamr (wine), and musical instruments." [ بخاری، الأشربۃ، باب ما جاء فیمن یستحل الخمر … : ۵۵۹۰، عن أبی مالک الأشعری رضی اللہ عنہ] Abu Malik Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Some people from my Ummah will drink khamr (wine) and will call it by another name." [ أبو داوٗد،الأشربۃ، باب فی الدّاذیّ : ۳۶۸۸]
➋ {الْمَيْسِرِ :} Gambling, this {”يُسْرٌ“} means ease, because in gambling, one gets another's wealth easily without effort. Nowadays, the businesses running under the names of dice, lottery, insurance, and betting, etc., are all forms of gambling. Even if there is a bet in playing with walnuts, that too is gambling. For further details, see the footnotes of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Ayah (3) and (90).
➌ {وَ اِثْمُهُمَاۤ اَكْبَرُ مِنْ نَّفْعِهِمَا:} Allah Almighty has mentioned some benefits of wine and gambling, but at the same time said that along with some benefits, there is a great sin in them. Then, instead of comparing profit and loss by saying that their harms outweigh their benefits, He said that their sin is greater than their benefit. It is understood from this that no matter how beneficial something is in the world, if there is sin in it, a believer should avoid it. In this verse, there is an indication towards the prohibition of wine and gambling, because in them {”اِثْمٌ كَبِيْرٌ“} is mentioned, and Allah Almighty has declared {”اِثْمٌ“} forbidden. (See Al-A'raf: 33) From this, one should also compare the benefits and sins of photographs, the benefits and sins of keeping TV, VCR, etc., in the house, and the benefits and sins of living in the lands of the disbelievers.
➍ {قُلِ الْعَفْوَ :} The meaning of {”الْعَفْوَ“} according to Sahib Qamus is: {”خِيَارُ الشَّيْءِ وَ اَجْوَدُهٗ“} that is, the best and most excellent part of something. Tabari has also narrated this meaning from several commentators. In this case, this verse is similar in meaning to Surah Al-Imran, Ayah (92), and Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah (267), i.e., spend from your best and most beloved things. The translation has been done according to this meaning.
The second meaning is "excess thing." Although the meaning of excess can also be that which is superior in quality, many scholars have interpreted it as that which is surplus to one's and one's family's needs. Thus, our Sheikh Muhammad Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that {”الْعَفْوَ“} refers to the wealth that remains after spending on one's family and essential needs, and after spending which a person does not become so needy that he has to ask others. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best charity is that which is given when one is affluent, and you should first spend on your family." [ بخاری، الزکوٰۃ، باب لا صدقۃ … : ۱۴۲۶، عن أبی ہریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ] This ruling is for voluntary charity apart from zakat, and it is a fact that there is a right in wealth besides zakat. (Ashraf al-Hawashi) Nothing prevents taking both meanings. Some so-called Muslim communists have argued from this verse for the denial of personal ownership of things surplus to need, whereas its first meaning is to spend your best things in the way of Allah, which uproots the very basis of the socialist ideology. If the meaning of spending the surplus is taken, then too, if people have something in their ownership, they will spend it, and they will also have the choice to decide what they consider surplus to their needs. If ownership itself belongs to the government, then what will people spend? To declare forcibly taking everything as the intention of the Qur'an is an act of coercion against the Qur'an just as it is against people.
➋ {الْمَيْسِرِ :} Gambling, this {”يُسْرٌ“} means ease, because in gambling, one gets another's wealth easily without effort. Nowadays, the businesses running under the names of dice, lottery, insurance, and betting, etc., are all forms of gambling. Even if there is a bet in playing with walnuts, that too is gambling. For further details, see the footnotes of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Ayah (3) and (90).
➌ {وَ اِثْمُهُمَاۤ اَكْبَرُ مِنْ نَّفْعِهِمَا:} Allah Almighty has mentioned some benefits of wine and gambling, but at the same time said that along with some benefits, there is a great sin in them. Then, instead of comparing profit and loss by saying that their harms outweigh their benefits, He said that their sin is greater than their benefit. It is understood from this that no matter how beneficial something is in the world, if there is sin in it, a believer should avoid it. In this verse, there is an indication towards the prohibition of wine and gambling, because in them {”اِثْمٌ كَبِيْرٌ“} is mentioned, and Allah Almighty has declared {”اِثْمٌ“} forbidden. (See Al-A'raf: 33) From this, one should also compare the benefits and sins of photographs, the benefits and sins of keeping TV, VCR, etc., in the house, and the benefits and sins of living in the lands of the disbelievers.
➍ {قُلِ الْعَفْوَ :} The meaning of {”الْعَفْوَ“} according to Sahib Qamus is: {”خِيَارُ الشَّيْءِ وَ اَجْوَدُهٗ“} that is, the best and most excellent part of something. Tabari has also narrated this meaning from several commentators. In this case, this verse is similar in meaning to Surah Al-Imran, Ayah (92), and Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah (267), i.e., spend from your best and most beloved things. The translation has been done according to this meaning.
The second meaning is "excess thing." Although the meaning of excess can also be that which is superior in quality, many scholars have interpreted it as that which is surplus to one's and one's family's needs. Thus, our Sheikh Muhammad Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that {”الْعَفْوَ“} refers to the wealth that remains after spending on one's family and essential needs, and after spending which a person does not become so needy that he has to ask others. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best charity is that which is given when one is affluent, and you should first spend on your family." [ بخاری، الزکوٰۃ، باب لا صدقۃ … : ۱۴۲۶، عن أبی ہریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ] This ruling is for voluntary charity apart from zakat, and it is a fact that there is a right in wealth besides zakat. (Ashraf al-Hawashi) Nothing prevents taking both meanings. Some so-called Muslim communists have argued from this verse for the denial of personal ownership of things surplus to need, whereas its first meaning is to spend your best things in the way of Allah, which uproots the very basis of the socialist ideology. If the meaning of spending the surplus is taken, then too, if people have something in their ownership, they will spend it, and they will also have the choice to decide what they consider surplus to their needs. If ownership itself belongs to the government, then what will people spend? To declare forcibly taking everything as the intention of the Qur'an is an act of coercion against the Qur'an just as it is against people.
