قُلْ أَنفِقُوا۟ طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا لَّن يُتَقَبَّلَ مِنكُمْ ۖ إِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا فَـٰسِقِينَ 53
Translations
Say, "Spend willingly or unwillingly; never will it be accepted from you. Indeed, you have been a defiantly disobedient people."
Transliteration
Qul anfiqoo tawʿan aw karhan lan yutaqabbala minkum inna kuntum qawman fasiqeen
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet to tell the hypocrites and those with diseased hearts that whether they spend their wealth willingly or unwillingly, it will never be accepted from them because of their disobedience and rejection of faith. Ibn Kathir explains this refers specifically to the hypocrites (munafiqun) of Madinah who pretended to be Muslims while harboring disbelief, and their spending is rejected because their hearts are not sincere toward Allah. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that acceptance of deeds depends on sincere intention and true belief, not merely outward actions.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the context of Surah At-Tawbah, which addresses the hypocrites and those who failed to participate in the Tabuk expedition. The surah criticizes the hypocrites' conditional faith and their refusal to spend in the way of Allah, establishing that their acts of worship and charity are fundamentally rejected due to their internal corruption and apostasy.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Indeed, Allah does not look at your bodies or your wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and your deeds' (Sahih Muslim 2564). Also relevant: 'The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done with sincerity, even if they are small' (reported in various collections regarding intention in deeds).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that material offerings and good works are meaningless without sincere faith and obedience to Allah; we must examine the state of our hearts and ensure our intentions are pure, for Allah judges not what is apparent but what lies within.