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 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 38) ➊ {هٰۤاَنْتُمْ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ تُدْعَوْنَ لِتُنْفِقُوْا … : ’’هَا‘‘} is a particle of warning, beware, remember, listen. {’’ أَنْتُمْ ‘‘} is the subject and {’’ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ ‘‘} is its predicate which is in the meaning of {’’ اَلَّذِيْنَ ‘‘} and whose relative clause is {’’ تُدْعَوْنَ لِتُنْفِقُوْا فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘ ’’ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ ‘‘}. That is, remember! You are those people that when you are invited to spend in the way of Allah, then among you are some who are stingy.
➋ { وَ مَنْ يَّبْخَلْ فَاِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَنْ نَّفْسِهٖ:} means that the person who is stingy in spending in the way of Allah thinks in his mind that I have been stingy with Allah Almighty and have not given Him wealth, whereas in reality he is being stingy with his own self and is not spending that wealth on himself, because if he had spent at the command of Allah Almighty, all the benefit would have been his own. Now that he has been stingy, he has been stingy with his own self and has deprived himself.
➌ By the definite article "al" coming on { وَ اللّٰهُ الْغَنِيُّ وَ اَنْتُمُ الْفُقَرَآءُ: ’’ الْغَنِيُّ ‘‘} and {’’ الْفُقَرَآءُ ‘‘}, exclusivity is created, meaning only Allah is Rich and no one else is rich, and only you are needy, Allah Almighty has no need. The meaning is that Allah Almighty has not commanded you to spend for any of His own needs, He is Rich, you are the needy ones, and whatever you spend, He will return it to you with countless increase, as He said: « مَنْ ذَا الَّذِيْ يُقْرِضُ اللّٰهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضٰعِفَهٗ لَهٗۤ اَضْعَافًا كَثِيْرَةً وَ اللّٰهُ يَقْبِضُ وَ يَبْصُۜطُ وَ اِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُوْنَ» [ البقرۃ : ۲۴۵ ] "Who is it that will lend to Allah a good loan, so He will multiply it for him many times over, and Allah withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned."
➍ {وَ اِنْ تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُوْنُوْۤا اَمْثَالَكُمْ:} For its details, see the commentary of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Ayah (54).
➋ { وَ مَنْ يَّبْخَلْ فَاِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَنْ نَّفْسِهٖ:} means that the person who is stingy in spending in the way of Allah thinks in his mind that I have been stingy with Allah Almighty and have not given Him wealth, whereas in reality he is being stingy with his own self and is not spending that wealth on himself, because if he had spent at the command of Allah Almighty, all the benefit would have been his own. Now that he has been stingy, he has been stingy with his own self and has deprived himself.
➌ By the definite article "al" coming on { وَ اللّٰهُ الْغَنِيُّ وَ اَنْتُمُ الْفُقَرَآءُ: ’’ الْغَنِيُّ ‘‘} and {’’ الْفُقَرَآءُ ‘‘}, exclusivity is created, meaning only Allah is Rich and no one else is rich, and only you are needy, Allah Almighty has no need. The meaning is that Allah Almighty has not commanded you to spend for any of His own needs, He is Rich, you are the needy ones, and whatever you spend, He will return it to you with countless increase, as He said: « مَنْ ذَا الَّذِيْ يُقْرِضُ اللّٰهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضٰعِفَهٗ لَهٗۤ اَضْعَافًا كَثِيْرَةً وَ اللّٰهُ يَقْبِضُ وَ يَبْصُۜطُ وَ اِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُوْنَ» [ البقرۃ : ۲۴۵ ] "Who is it that will lend to Allah a good loan, so He will multiply it for him many times over, and Allah withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned."
➍ {وَ اِنْ تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُوْنُوْۤا اَمْثَالَكُمْ:} For its details, see the commentary of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Ayah (54).
