Al-Baqarah 2:272
The Cow · Juz 3 · Page 46
۞ 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. ↩
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 2:272
(6) Verse 272: لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ (الی قولہ) وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ : "It is not for you to put them on the right path ... and you shall not be wronged."
It has been clarified in this verse that a صدقہ sadaqah given to a non-Muslim also carries a reward in the life to come. As the basic purpose of a Muslim in making a sadaqah صدقہ is to get that reward, he should not confine himself to giving it to the Muslims only and to avoid giving it to the poor non-Muslims in the hope that this attitude will persuade them towards Islam, because a Muslim is not charged with bringing non-Muslims to the right path. He should seek his own benefit (the reward in the Hereafter) which can also be achieved through giving sadaqah صدقہ to a non-Muslim.
Let us be clear at this point that sadaqah صدقہ referred to here is nafl نفل supererogatory or voluntary charity) which can be given to a dhimmi (a non-Muslim citizen of a Muslim state) as well. The obligatory زکاۃ Zakah is not meant here since it is not permissible to give that to anyone except a Muslim (Mazhari). It is not permissible to give any kind of sadaqah صدقہ to a harbi (a non-Muslim citizen of a non-Muslim state) and, however, it is permissible to give the dhimmis ذمیوں all other types of sadaqat, obligatory or supererogatory. زکاۃ Zakah is not included in the verse.
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.