سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 264
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُبْطِلُوا۟ صَدَقَـٰتِكُم بِٱلْمَنِّ وَٱلْأَذَىٰ كَٱلَّذِى يُنفِقُ مَالَهُۥ رِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۖ فَمَثَلُهُۥ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُۥ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُۥ صَلْدًا ۖ لَّا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿264﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allâh, nor in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allâh does not guide the disbelieving people.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe[d]
لَا
lā
(Do) not
تُبْطِلُوا۟
tub'ṭilū
render in vain
صَدَقَـٰتِكُم
ṣadaqātikum
your charities
بِٱلْمَنِّ
bil-mani
with reminders (of it)
وَٱلْأَذَىٰ
wal-adhā
or [the] hurt
كَٱلَّذِى
ka-alladhī
like the one who
يُنفِقُ
yunfiqu
spends
مَالَهُۥ
mālahu
his wealth
رِئَآءَ
riāa
(to) be seen
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
(by) the people
وَلَا
walā
and (does) not
يُؤْمِنُ
yu'minu
believe
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَٱلْيَوْمِ
wal-yawmi
and the Day
ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۖ
l-ākhiri
[the] Last
فَمَثَلُهُۥ
famathaluhu
Then his example
كَمَثَلِ
kamathali
(is) like
صَفْوَانٍ
ṣafwānin
(that of a) smooth rock
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
upon it
تُرَابٌۭ
turābun
(is) dust
فَأَصَابَهُۥ
fa-aṣābahu
then fell on it
وَابِلٌۭ
wābilun
heavy rain
فَتَرَكَهُۥ
fatarakahu
then left it
صَلْدًۭا ۖ
ṣaldan
bare
لَّا
lā
Not
يَقْدِرُونَ
yaqdirūna
they have control
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
anything
مِّمَّا
mimmā
of what
كَسَبُوا۟ ۗ
kasabū
they (have) earned
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
لَا
lā
(does) not
يَهْدِى
yahdī
guide
ٱلْقَوْمَ
l-qawma
the people
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
l-kāfirīna
[the] disbelieving
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.
264. O you who believe! Do not nullify your charities by reminders of generosity or by injury, like the one who spends his wealth only to be seen by people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like a smooth rock covered with a thin layer of soil; then a heavy rain falls upon it and leaves it bare. They gain nothing from what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people to the right path.
[380]
The Fate of the Show-Off:
Since the show-off does not have a correct intention, and intention is the real seed, therefore such a seed cannot be fruitful. Allah Almighty has described its example as follows: like a smooth, slippery stone on which there is a little soil, he sows his seed in it, and when it rains, the water washes away the soil as well as the seed along with it. So, what harvest can there be now? In reality, the show-off does not have complete faith in Allah and the Day of Judgment; he acts only to please people, and he does not even intend to receive reward from Allah Almighty. Thus, it is mentioned in a hadith: Hazrat Abu Hurairahؓ says that I heard the Messenger of Allahﷺ say: On the Day of Resurrection, the first person whose case will be decided will be a martyr. He will be brought before Allah Almighty. Allah will remind him of His blessings, which he will acknowledge. Allah will say: "So what did you do?" He will say: I fought in Your way until I was martyred. Allah will say: You are lying. You fought so that people would call you brave, and that has already been said about you in the world. Then Allah will command the angels, who will drag him and throw him into Hell. Then another person will be brought who had acquired knowledge of religion, taught it to people, and used to recite the Quran. Allah will remind him of His blessings, which he will acknowledge. Then Allah will ask him: So what did you do? He will say: I learned knowledge myself, taught others, and kept reciting and teaching the Quran. Allah will say: You are lying. You learned knowledge so that people would call you a scholar, and you recited the Quran so that people would call you a reciter, and you have already been called a scholar and a reciter in the world. Then Allah will command the angels, who will drag him and throw him into Hell. Then another person will be brought who had been granted all kinds of wealth by Allah. Allah will remind him of His blessings, which he will acknowledge. Then Allah will ask him: So what did you do? He will say: I spent wealth in every way that You liked. Allah will say: You are lying. You spent so that people would call you generous, and that has already been said about you in the world. Then the angels will be commanded, who will drag him and throw him into Hell. [مسلم، كتاب الامارة باب من قاتل للرياء والسمعة استحق النار]
[380]
The Fate of the Show-Off:
Since the show-off does not have a correct intention, and intention is the real seed, therefore such a seed cannot be fruitful. Allah Almighty has described its example as follows: like a smooth, slippery stone on which there is a little soil, he sows his seed in it, and when it rains, the water washes away the soil as well as the seed along with it. So, what harvest can there be now? In reality, the show-off does not have complete faith in Allah and the Day of Judgment; he acts only to please people, and he does not even intend to receive reward from Allah Almighty. Thus, it is mentioned in a hadith: Hazrat Abu Hurairahؓ says that I heard the Messenger of Allahﷺ say: On the Day of Resurrection, the first person whose case will be decided will be a martyr. He will be brought before Allah Almighty. Allah will remind him of His blessings, which he will acknowledge. Allah will say: "So what did you do?" He will say: I fought in Your way until I was martyred. Allah will say: You are lying. You fought so that people would call you brave, and that has already been said about you in the world. Then Allah will command the angels, who will drag him and throw him into Hell. Then another person will be brought who had acquired knowledge of religion, taught it to people, and used to recite the Quran. Allah will remind him of His blessings, which he will acknowledge. Then Allah will ask him: So what did you do? He will say: I learned knowledge myself, taught others, and kept reciting and teaching the Quran. Allah will say: You are lying. You learned knowledge so that people would call you a scholar, and you recited the Quran so that people would call you a reciter, and you have already been called a scholar and a reciter in the world. Then Allah will command the angels, who will drag him and throw him into Hell. Then another person will be brought who had been granted all kinds of wealth by Allah. Allah will remind him of His blessings, which he will acknowledge. Then Allah will ask him: So what did you do? He will say: I spent wealth in every way that You liked. Allah will say: You are lying. You spent so that people would call you generous, and that has already been said about you in the world. Then the angels will be commanded, who will drag him and throw him into Hell. [مسلم، كتاب الامارة باب من قاتل للرياء والسمعة استحق النار]
