سُوْرَةُ الإِسۡرَاءِ
Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 29
وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ ٱلْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَّحْسُورًا ﴿29﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَجْعَلْ
tajʿal
make
يَدَكَ
yadaka
your hand
مَغْلُولَةً
maghlūlatan
chained
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
عُنُقِكَ
ʿunuqika
your neck
وَلَا
walā
and not
تَبْسُطْهَا
tabsuṭ'hā
extend it
كُلَّ
kulla
(to its) utmost
ٱلْبَسْطِ
l-basṭi
reach
فَتَقْعُدَ
fataqʿuda
so that you sit
مَلُومًۭا
malūman
blameworthy
مَّحْسُورًا
maḥsūran
insolvent
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
And do not keep your hand tied to your neck, nor stretch it out completely open, lest you become blameworthy [34] and destitute.
[34]
Moderation in Spending:
"Tying your hand to your neck" is an idiom meaning to be stingy. That is, when spending, one should neither be stingy nor spend so much that nothing remains even for one's own needs and one falls into hardship. Whether this spending is for one's own needs or in the form of spending in the way of Allah. The highest level of spending in the way of Allah is "to spend everything that is surplus to one's needs" [2: 219]
That is, in this divine command as well, it is said to spend the wealth that is surplus to one's needs, not all of it. And when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked which charity is best, he ﷺ replied: "Charity from a state of self-sufficiency," meaning the charity after which a person does not become needy himself or become eligible to receive charity. [بخاري]
It is also mentioned in a hadith that whoever adopts moderation does not become needy.
[34]
Moderation in Spending:
"Tying your hand to your neck" is an idiom meaning to be stingy. That is, when spending, one should neither be stingy nor spend so much that nothing remains even for one's own needs and one falls into hardship. Whether this spending is for one's own needs or in the form of spending in the way of Allah. The highest level of spending in the way of Allah is "to spend everything that is surplus to one's needs" [2: 219]
That is, in this divine command as well, it is said to spend the wealth that is surplus to one's needs, not all of it. And when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked which charity is best, he ﷺ replied: "Charity from a state of self-sufficiency," meaning the charity after which a person does not become needy himself or become eligible to receive charity. [بخاري]
It is also mentioned in a hadith that whoever adopts moderation does not become needy.
