سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 58
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَلْمِزُكَ فِى ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ فَإِنْ أُعْطُوا۟ مِنْهَا رَضُوا۟ وَإِن لَّمْ يُعْطَوْا۟ مِنْهَآ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْخَطُونَ ﴿58﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And of them are some who accuse you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) in the matter of (the distribution of) the alms. If they are given part thereof, they are pleased, but if they are not given thereof, behold! They are enraged!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمِنْهُم
wamin'hum
And among them
مَّن
man
(is he) who
يَلْمِزُكَ
yalmizuka
criticizes you
فِى
fī
concerning
ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ
l-ṣadaqāti
the charities
فَإِنْ
fa-in
Then if
أُعْطُوا۟
uʿ'ṭū
they are given
مِنْهَا
min'hā
from it
رَضُوا۟
raḍū
they are pleased
وَإِن
wa-in
but if
لَّمْ
lam
not
يُعْطَوْا۟
yuʿ'ṭaw
they are given
مِنْهَآ
min'hā
from it
إِذَا
idhā
then
هُمْ
hum
they
يَسْخَطُونَ
yaskhaṭūna
(are) enraged
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.
58. And among them is he who criticizes you [62] concerning the distribution of charities. If they are given something [63], they are pleased, but if they are not given, they become angry at once.
[62]
The Accusation of the Hypocrites Regarding the Distribution of Charity:
Sayyiduna Abu Sa‘id Khudri ؓ narrates that Sayyiduna ‘Ali ؓ sent some gold in a tanned leather bag, from which the dust had not yet been separated, from Yemen to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ distributed it among four men: ‘Uyainah bin Badr, Aqra‘ bin Habis, Zayd al-Khayl, and ‘Alqamah or ‘Amir bin Tufayl. One of the companions said: “We were more deserving of this wealth than these people.” When this reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said: “Do you not trust me, even though I am the trustee of the One Who is in the heavens? Morning and evening, news from the heavens comes to me.” A man, whose eyes were deep-set, cheekbones prominent, forehead protruding, beard thick, and head shaved, stood up, lifting his lower garment from his shins, and said: “O Messenger of Allah! Fear Allah.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Woe to you! Am I not the most deserving among the people of the earth to fear Allah?” When that man left, Khalid bin Walid ؓ said: “O Messenger of Allah! Shall I not strike his neck?” The Prophet ﷺ said: “No, perhaps he prays.” Khalid said: “How many are there who pray, yet utter with their tongues what is not in their hearts.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “I have not been commanded to pierce through people’s hearts or to split open their bellies.” Abu Sa‘id says: When he turned his back and was leaving, the Prophet ﷺ looked at him and said: “From his progeny will come a people who will recite the Quran with delight, but it will not go beyond their throats. They will leave the religion as an arrow leaves the bow.” Abu Sa‘id says: I think the Prophet ﷺ also said: “If I am present in their time, I will kill them as the people of Thamud were killed.” [بخاري۔ كتاب المغازي۔ باب بعث على بن ابي طالب۔ بر كتاب استتابته المرتدين۔ مسلم كتاب الزكوٰة۔ باب اعطاء المؤلفة القلوب وذكر الخوارج]
[63]
The Standard of Justice According to the Hypocrites:
The sole objective of the hypocrites is the attainment of personal interests. Therefore, in their view, justice in the distribution of charity only takes place if they themselves receive something. If they get something, then everything is fine and they are pleased; but if they do not get anything, then in their view, the requirements of justice have not been fulfilled, and so they become displeased.
The Prophet’s Objective in the Distribution of Charity:
Here, it is necessary to keep in mind that charity was forbidden for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his relatives, so it could not even be imagined that perhaps the Prophet ﷺ kept something for himself or gave it to his relatives. The hypocrites’ objection was only that so-and-so was given and I was not, or so-and-so was given more and I was given less. And this objection was merely due to their greed, narrow-mindedness, and lack of trust in the Prophet ﷺ. What the Prophet ﷺ considered in the distribution of charity is made clear by the following hadith: ‘Amr bin Taghlib ؓ says that once, during a sermon, after praising Allah, the Prophet ﷺ said: “I give (wealth, etc.) to some people and do not give to others. Those to whom I give, it is not because they are more beloved to me, but because I find in them anxiety and restlessness. And those to whom I do not give, I rely on their contentment and goodness which Allah has placed in them. ‘Amr bin Taghlib is one of those people.” Hearing this from the Prophet’s ﷺ mouth made me so happy that if I had received red camels, I would not have been as happy. [بخاري۔ كتاب الجمعه۔ باب خطبة الجمعة]
[62]
The Accusation of the Hypocrites Regarding the Distribution of Charity:
Sayyiduna Abu Sa‘id Khudri ؓ narrates that Sayyiduna ‘Ali ؓ sent some gold in a tanned leather bag, from which the dust had not yet been separated, from Yemen to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ distributed it among four men: ‘Uyainah bin Badr, Aqra‘ bin Habis, Zayd al-Khayl, and ‘Alqamah or ‘Amir bin Tufayl. One of the companions said: “We were more deserving of this wealth than these people.” When this reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said: “Do you not trust me, even though I am the trustee of the One Who is in the heavens? Morning and evening, news from the heavens comes to me.” A man, whose eyes were deep-set, cheekbones prominent, forehead protruding, beard thick, and head shaved, stood up, lifting his lower garment from his shins, and said: “O Messenger of Allah! Fear Allah.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Woe to you! Am I not the most deserving among the people of the earth to fear Allah?” When that man left, Khalid bin Walid ؓ said: “O Messenger of Allah! Shall I not strike his neck?” The Prophet ﷺ said: “No, perhaps he prays.” Khalid said: “How many are there who pray, yet utter with their tongues what is not in their hearts.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “I have not been commanded to pierce through people’s hearts or to split open their bellies.” Abu Sa‘id says: When he turned his back and was leaving, the Prophet ﷺ looked at him and said: “From his progeny will come a people who will recite the Quran with delight, but it will not go beyond their throats. They will leave the religion as an arrow leaves the bow.” Abu Sa‘id says: I think the Prophet ﷺ also said: “If I am present in their time, I will kill them as the people of Thamud were killed.” [بخاري۔ كتاب المغازي۔ باب بعث على بن ابي طالب۔ بر كتاب استتابته المرتدين۔ مسلم كتاب الزكوٰة۔ باب اعطاء المؤلفة القلوب وذكر الخوارج]
[63]
The Standard of Justice According to the Hypocrites:
The sole objective of the hypocrites is the attainment of personal interests. Therefore, in their view, justice in the distribution of charity only takes place if they themselves receive something. If they get something, then everything is fine and they are pleased; but if they do not get anything, then in their view, the requirements of justice have not been fulfilled, and so they become displeased.
The Prophet’s Objective in the Distribution of Charity:
Here, it is necessary to keep in mind that charity was forbidden for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his relatives, so it could not even be imagined that perhaps the Prophet ﷺ kept something for himself or gave it to his relatives. The hypocrites’ objection was only that so-and-so was given and I was not, or so-and-so was given more and I was given less. And this objection was merely due to their greed, narrow-mindedness, and lack of trust in the Prophet ﷺ. What the Prophet ﷺ considered in the distribution of charity is made clear by the following hadith: ‘Amr bin Taghlib ؓ says that once, during a sermon, after praising Allah, the Prophet ﷺ said: “I give (wealth, etc.) to some people and do not give to others. Those to whom I give, it is not because they are more beloved to me, but because I find in them anxiety and restlessness. And those to whom I do not give, I rely on their contentment and goodness which Allah has placed in them. ‘Amr bin Taghlib is one of those people.” Hearing this from the Prophet’s ﷺ mouth made me so happy that if I had received red camels, I would not have been as happy. [بخاري۔ كتاب الجمعه۔ باب خطبة الجمعة]
