How The Almsgiving Should Be Spent

LESSON # 313 FROM HOLY  QUR’AN

How The Almsgiving Should Be Spent

BAQARAH – 2 (The Cow)

Verse –270 & 271   of  286, Section –37  (Part - 3)

270.  Whatever alms ye spend or vow ye vow, lo! Allah knoweth it. And wrongdoers have no helpers. 271.  If ye publish your almsgiving, it is well, but if ye hide it and give it to the poor, it will be better for you, and will atone for some of your ill-deeds. Allah is aware of what ye do.

270.  Wa  maaa  ‘anfaqtum-min-nafaqatin  ‘aw  nazartum-min-nazrin-  fa- ‘innallaaha  ya’-lamuh.  Wa  maa  liz-zaalimiina  min  ‘ansaar. 271.  ‘In-tubdus-Sadaqaati  fa-ni- ‘immaa  hii.  Wa  ‘in- tukhfuu-haa  wa  tu’-tuuhal-fuqaraaa- ‘a  fa-huwa  khayrul-lakum.  Wa  yukaffiru  ‘ankum-min-  sayyi-  ‘aatikum.  Wallaahu  bimaa  ta’-maluuna  Khabiir.

Lesson

Nazrin – (vow, intention, promise), according to the religious law the definition of this word is ‘to consider necessary any thing on completion of any object, which is not reasonable’. After admitting once a vow, it becomes duty and necessary to fulfill it.  

‘al-fuqaraaa-‘u – (beggars, the necessitious, the poor). Its single is faqiir, which also usually means a worshipper of Allah Almighty, a saint as well as a beggar. According to Holy Qur’an the faqiir is that indigent/poor person, whose source of income has been over.

It has been deposed in this verse that ‘whatever we spend in the Path of God Almighty or agree for a vow, that entire is held in the Sight of Allah Almighty. To intend for unlawful work, to mind vow at any unlawful place or to plan to spend on any unlawful occasion is tyrannizing oneself, and there will be neither any helper or supporter of likewise person and nor Allah Almighty will accept his deed.

In the second verse of this lesson, Allah Almighty has commanded that wishing either you publish your almsgiving and charity, or hide it and give it to the poor, Allah Almighty is aware of what you do. If you frighten that the people will misunderstand it as in-sincerity and show, then it will be better for you to hide this goodness. If you think that the people will get instigation due to publishing it, then it is well to do so before all the persons. However, acceptance of the goodness depends on intent. To spend either hiding it so that the person who takes the alms/charity, not to feel shame, or publishing it so that others also do it fondly. Both the ways are better, but regard of situation and convenience, and correction of intention is indispensable.

Transliteration in Roman Script & English Translation of Holy Qur’an written by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazar, Lahore and Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’an published By Idara Islah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated by Muhammad Sharif)