Al-Baqarah 2:271
The Cow · Juz 3 · Page 46
إِن تُبۡدُواْ ٱلصَّدَقَٰتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَۖ وَإِن تُخۡفُوهَا وَتُؤۡتُوهَا ٱلۡفُقَرَآءَ فَهُوَ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرٞ ٢٧١
If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds [thereby]. And Allāh, of what you do, is [fully] Aware.
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Commentary on 2:271
(5) Verse 271: إِن تُبْدُوا الصَّدَقَاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ (الی قولہ) وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِير : "If you give the alms openly, it is good enough, ... and Allah is All-Aware of what you do"
Obviously, this verse covers all types of charity, whether obligatory or supererogatory, and it is more preferable to perform all of them as secretly as possible. To observe secrecy in a charitable act has religious merits, because it is far from the possibility of riya' ریاء (show off), and more graceful for the receiver who can feel shy about receiving charity in public. It is also beneficial from an earthly point of view, because it does not disclose the amount of wealth one owns.
It should, however, be kept in mind that the preferability of observing secrecy is a matter of principle. There may be situations where it becomes more preferable to perform an act of charity openly for some external reasons, such as removing some accusation (of not paying زکاۃ Zakah, for instance) or to persuade others to follow the example. Such exceptional cases do not negate the basic principle in any way.
Immediately after the instruction of concealing the 'Sadaqat صداقات ', the holy verse says, وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ (This will write off part of your sins). It does not mean that the expiation of evil-deeds is confined to the charity made in secret only. In fact, a charity made in public also carries the same benefit. But the reference to expiation here is in the context that even if someone feels a secret charity as useless in this world, he should not feel depressed, because Allah will forgive his sins, and that is a great gain for him.
Page 46
2:270
وَمَآ أَنفَقۡتُم مِّن نَّفَقَةٍ أَوۡ نَذَرۡتُم مِّن نَّذۡرٖ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُهُۥۗ وَمَا لِلظَّٰلِمِينَ مِنۡ أَنصَارٍ ٢٧٠
And whatever you spend of expenditures or make of vows - indeed, Allāh knows of it. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers.
2:271
إِن تُبۡدُواْ ٱلصَّدَقَٰتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَۖ وَإِن تُخۡفُوهَا وَتُؤۡتُوهَا ٱلۡفُقَرَآءَ فَهُوَ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرٞ ٢٧١
If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds [thereby]. And Allāh, of what you do, is [fully] Aware.
2:272
۞ لَّيۡسَ عَلَيۡكَ هُدَىٰهُمۡ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٖ فَلِأَنفُسِكُمۡۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ٱبۡتِغَآءَ وَجۡهِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٖ يُوَفَّ إِلَيۡكُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تُظۡلَمُونَ ٢٧٢
Not upon you, [O Muḥammad], is [responsibility for] their guidance, but Allāh guides whom He wills. And whatever good you [believers] spend is for yourselves, and you do not spend except seeking the face [i.e., approval] of Allāh. And whatever you spend of good1 - it will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., wealth, property, resources, time, effort, etc. ↩
2:273
لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ ٱلَّذِينَ أُحۡصِرُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ ضَرۡبٗا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَحۡسَبُهُمُ ٱلۡجَاهِلُ أَغۡنِيَآءَ مِنَ ٱلتَّعَفُّفِ تَعۡرِفُهُم بِسِيمَٰهُمۡ لَا يَسۡـَٔلُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ إِلۡحَافٗاۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٖ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ ٢٧٣
[Charity is] for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allāh, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at all]. And whatever you spend of good - indeed, Allāh is Knowing of it.
2:274
ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَٰلَهُم بِٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ سِرّٗا وَعَلَانِيَةٗ فَلَهُمۡ أَجۡرُهُمۡ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ ٢٧٤
Those who spend their wealth [in Allāh's way] by night and by day, secretly and publicly - they will have their reward with their Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.