وَءَاتِ ذَا ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُۥ وَٱلْمِسْكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا 26
Translations
And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully.
Transliteration
Wa aati dhal-qurbaa haqqahu wal-miskina wabna as-sabili wa la tubazzir tabzira
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands giving the rights of relatives, the poor, and travelers, while strictly forbidding wasteful spending. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this verse establishes a balance between fulfilling family obligations and supporting vulnerable members of society, while condemning extravagance as a sin that contradicts Islamic values of prudence and stewardship. The prohibition of 'tabzir' (wasteful squandering) applies to all spending, whether on lawful or unlawful things, making financial responsibility a core Islamic principle.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Isra, which details the commandments and ethical guidelines revealed during the Meccan period. It comes within a sequence of divine commands addressing social responsibility and proper conduct, forming part of the foundational moral teachings that would govern Islamic society. The context emphasizes personal virtue and social duty as interconnected obligations.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Tirmidhi 3895). Additionally, the Prophet forbade wasteful spending, stating: 'Whoever is merciful, even to the creatures on earth, God will be merciful to him on the Day of Judgment' (Sunan Abu Dawud 4726), highlighting compassion paired with prudent resource management.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true wealth lies not in abundance but in wise and compassionate distribution—fulfilling our obligations to family and society while avoiding wasteful excess. In today's consumer-driven world, it reminds believers that every resource is a trust from Allah, demanding both generosity toward others and accountability in our own spending.
Related Ayahs
قَالَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّكَ يَـٰفِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًا
[Moses] said, "You have already known that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as evidence, and indeed I think, O Pharaoh, that you are destroyed."
وَمَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِهِۦ ۖ وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًا وَبُكْمًا وَصُمًّا ۖ مَّأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنَـٰهُمْ سَعِيرًا
And whoever Allāh guides - he is the [rightly] guided; and whoever He sends astray - you will never find for them protectors besides Him, and We will gather them on the Day of Resurrection [fallen] on their faces - blind, dumb and deaf. Their refuge is Hell; every time it subsides, We increase [for] them blazing fire.
وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا
And when you recite the Qur’ān, We put between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a concealed partition.
وَرَبُّكَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَلَقَدْ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ زَبُورًا
And your Lord is most knowing of whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And We have made some of the prophets exceed others [in various ways], and to David We gave the book [of Psalms].