ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلْبُخْلِ وَيَكْتُمُونَ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۗ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا 37
Translations
Who are stingy and enjoin upon [other] people stinginess and conceal what Allāh has given them of His bounty - and We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment -
Transliteration
Alladhīna yabkhaloona wa ya'muroona an-nāsa bil-bukhli wa yaktamoona mā ātāhum-ullāhu min fadlihi wa a'tadnā lil-kāfirīna 'adhāban muhīnā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns those who are miserly with their wealth, command others to be stingy, and conceal the blessings Allah has bestowed upon them. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, such behavior reflects ingratitude toward Allah's favors and hypocrisy, as these individuals suppress the truth about Allah's generosity while preventing others from understanding the obligation of charity. The ayah concludes with a stern warning that for the disbelievers (those who reject the command to spend in Allah's way), Allah has prepared a humiliating punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan Surah An-Nisa, which extensively addresses social ethics and community responsibilities. It is situated within a passage discussing proper conduct regarding wealth and charity, reflecting the Islamic community's early emphasis on redistributing wealth and supporting those in need. The context suggests this was revealed to address attitudes of greed and miserliness that existed even among some believers.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) 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, 'Wealth and children are adornments of life, but the everlasting good deeds are better' (Quran 18:46), which complements the theme of not being attached to material possessions.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that hoarding wealth while discouraging others from charity contradicts Islamic values and invites divine punishment, encouraging us to recognize our blessings as trusts from Allah meant to benefit the community. Modern readers should examine whether they are genuinely grateful for their blessings by sharing them generously rather than hoarding wealth for selfish purposes.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَظَلَمُوا۟ لَمْ يَكُنِ ٱللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلَا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ طَرِيقًا
Indeed, those who disbelieve and commit wrong [or injustice] - never will Allāh forgive them, nor will He guide them to a path,
يَسْـَٔلُكَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَـٰبًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ فَقَدْ سَأَلُوا۟ مُوسَىٰٓ أَكْبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَرِنَا ٱللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ ۚ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ فَعَفَوْنَا عَن ذَٰلِكَ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ سُلْطَـٰنًا مُّبِينًا
The People of the Scripture ask you to bring down to them a book from the heaven. But they had asked of Moses [even] greater than that and said, "Show us Allāh outright," so the thunderbolt struck them for their wrongdoing. Then they took the calf [for worship] after clear evidences had come to them, and We pardoned that. And We gave Moses a clear authority.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَٰلَ ٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِى بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا ۖ وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا
Indeed, those who devour the property of orphans unjustly are only consuming into their bellies fire. And they will be burned in a Blaze [i.e., Hellfire].
وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا۟ مَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۚ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبُوا۟ ۖ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًا
And do not wish for that by which Allāh has made some of you exceed others. For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And ask Allāh of His bounty. Indeed Allāh is ever, of all things, Knowing.