لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِّن سَعَتِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُۥ فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَآ ءَاتَىٰهَا ۚ سَيَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا 7
Translations
Let a man of wealth spend from his wealth, and he whose provision is restricted - let him spend from what Allāh has given him. Allāh does not charge a soul except [according to] what He has given it. Allāh will bring about, after hardship, ease [i.e., relief].
Transliteration
Liyunfiq dhu saca'in min saca'atih, wa man qudira alayhi rizquh falyunfiq mimma atahu Allah. La yukalliful-lahu nafsan illa ma ataha. Sayajcalu Allah ba'da cusr yusr.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the principle of proportionate spending according to one's means: the wealthy should spend from their abundance, while the poor should spend from what Allah has provided them, and Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this verse addresses the maintenance obligations of divorced women, establishing a principle of equity and mercy that extends beyond divorce law to all financial obligations in Islam, concluding with reassurance that hardship is always followed by ease.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah At-Talaq, a Medinan chapter dealing with the rulings and ethics of divorce. It comes in the context of verses prescribing how men should maintain their divorced wives during the waiting period ('iddah), reflecting the Quranic emphasis on justice and compassion even in the dissolution of marriage.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their wives' (Jami' At-Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari regarding the obligation of nafaqah (maintenance) reinforces this principle of spending according to one's means.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Islamic law is fundamentally just and compassionate—obligations are calibrated to individual capacity, and one should never despair in hardship, for Allah promises that difficulty is temporary and followed by relief. For modern readers, it emphasizes that financial commitments should be realistic and merciful, reflecting a balance between responsibility and human limitation.
Related Ayahs
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ عَتَتْ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهَا وَرُسُلِهِۦ فَحَاسَبْنَـٰهَا حِسَابًا شَدِيدًا وَعَذَّبْنَـٰهَا عَذَابًا نُّكْرًا
And how many a city was insolent toward the command of its Lord and His messengers, so We took it to severe account and punished it with a terrible punishment.
أَسْكِنُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ سَكَنتُم مِّن وُجْدِكُمْ وَلَا تُضَآرُّوهُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن كُنَّ أُو۟لَـٰتِ حَمْلٍ فَأَنفِقُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ ۚ فَإِنْ أَرْضَعْنَ لَكُمْ فَـَٔاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ ۖ وَأْتَمِرُوا۟ بَيْنَكُم بِمَعْرُوفٍ ۖ وَإِن تَعَاسَرْتُمْ فَسَتُرْضِعُ لَهُۥٓ أُخْرَىٰ
Lodge them [in a section] of where you dwell out of your means and do not harm them in order to oppress them. And if they should be pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth. And if they breastfeed for you, then give them their payment and confer among yourselves in the acceptable way; but if you are in discord, then there may breastfeed for him [i.e., the father] another woman.
وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْرًا
And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allāh - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allāh will accomplish His purpose. Allāh has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.
أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ۖ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَـٰٓأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ۚ قَدْ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْكُمْ ذِكْرًا
Allāh has prepared for them a severe punishment; so fear Allāh, O you of understanding who have believed. Allāh has sent down to you a message [i.e., the Qur’ān].