Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:271

Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow): Verse 271

{إن تبدوا الصدقات فنعما هي وإن تخفوها وتؤتوها الفقراء فهو خير لكم ويكفر عنكم من سيئاتكم والله بما تعملون خبير}

The Almighty first clarified that spending (in charity) is of two types: that which is accompanied by boasting and causing harm, and that which is not. He stated the ruling for each category. Secondly, He mentioned that spending can be of good quality or poor quality, and stated the ruling for each. In this verse, He states that spending can be done openly (tabdū) or secretly (tukhfū), and addresses both cases.

The First Issue: The Companions asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) whether secret charity (ṣadaqat al-sirr) or public charity (ṣadaqat al-ʿalāniyyah) was better. This verse was revealed in response.

The Second Issue: The Meaning of Ṣadaqah

1. Scope of Ṣadaqah: The term ṣadaqah (charity) is used for both obligatory (prescribed) and voluntary (supererogatory) spending.
   • Evidence for obligatory use: Allah says, {Take from their wealth a charity that will purify them} (At-Tawbah: 103), and {The charities are only for the poor} (At-Tawbah: 92).
   • Evidence for voluntary use: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "A man's spending on his dependents is charity."
2. Scope of Zakāh: Zakāh (the prescribed obligatory charity) is only used for the obligatory due.
3. Linguistic Root: The root ṣ-d-q fundamentally denotes correctness, soundness, and completeness. Examples include: ṣidq an-naẓar (sound judgment), ṣidq al-liqāʾ (a true meeting), ṣaddaqūhum al-qitāl (they fought them truly/sincerely), ṣādiq al-mawaddah (sincere in affection), and ṣādiq al-ḥumūḍah (truly sour).
4. Completeness: Ṣiddīq (truthful one) is named so due to sincerity in affection. Ṣadāq (dowry) is named so because the marriage contract is completed and perfected by it. Allah named Zakāh as ṣadaqah because it perfects and validates the wealth, either by ensuring its continuation or by serving as evidence of the servant's sincerity in faith and their completeness therein.

*The Third Issue: Recitation of {fa-niʿmā}

The original form is niʿma mā. One mīm was assimilated into the other. There are three main ways this is recited:

1. fa-niʿmā (with sukūn on the nūn and sukūn on the ʿayn): Recited by Abu Amr, Warsh (from Nafi'), and Abu Bakr (from Asim). Abu Ubayd preferred this, citing the Prophet's (PBUH) saying to Amr ibn al-As: "Excellent is wealth for a righteous man" (reported with sukūn on the ʿayn). Grammarians argue that this implies joining two silent letters, which is impermissible unless the first is a long vowel/soft letter (like in dābbah). However, regarding the Hadith, since joining these two silent letters is physically impossible, we understand that the Prophet (PBUH) must have pronounced a slight, quick vowel sound on the ʿayn (a form of ikhtilās).
2. fa-niʿmā (with kasrah on the nūn and kasrah on the ʿayn): Recited by Ibn Kathir, Nafi' (via Warsh), and Asim (via Hafs). Two justifications exist:
   • The ʿayn was vocalized with the same vowel as the preceding letter (nūn).
   • This follows the dialect of those who say niʿma with kasrah on both letters, which Sibawayh attributed to the tribe of Hudhayl.
3. fa-niʿmā (with fatḥah on the nūn and kasrah on the ʿayn): Recited by the rest of the reciters. This follows the original form of niʿma. This is supported by the poetry of Ṭarafah:

   "Excellent are those who strive in the commanded affair."

The Fourth Issue: Grammatical Analysis of Mā

1. Al-Zajjaj's View: Mā is interpreted as an object, meaning: "Excellent is that thing [the open giving]."
2. Abu Ali al-Jays' Refinement: It is better to compare mā to an indefinite thing, as mā here is indefinite. If it were definite, it would require a relative clause (ṣilah), but the following word is hiya (she/it), which is singular and cannot serve as a ṣilah for mā.
3. Conclusion: Therefore, mā is in the accusative case as a tamyīz (specifier/specification). The implied meaning is: "Excellent is the act of openly giving charity." The muḍāf (the implied noun, i.e., shayʾan) is omitted because the context indicates it.

The Fifth Issue: Obligatory vs. Voluntary Charity

There is disagreement on whether the charity mentioned refers to voluntary giving, obligatory giving, or both.

First Opinion (The Majority): Voluntary Charity Only They argue that secrecy is better for voluntary charity, while openness is better for Zakāh (obligatory charity).

• Sub-Issue 1: Why Secrecy is Better for Voluntary Charity
  1. Avoiding Hypocrisy (Riyāʾ) and Seeking Praise (Sumʿah): The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Allah does not accept the charity of one who seeks to be heard or seen, nor one who boasts." One who speaks of their charity seeks praise, and one who gives in public seeks riyāʾ. Secrecy and silence avoid both. Some people went to extremes in seeking secrecy, even dropping money near a blind man or placing it where the poor person would find it while sleeping, or delivering it via a third party, all to avoid riyāʾ, sumʿah, and boasting. If the recipient knows the giver, both riyāʾ and boasting occur.
  2. Avoiding Worldly Praise: Secrecy prevents the giver from gaining fame, praise, and veneration among people, which is difficult for the soul to forgo, thus making the secret act more rewarding.
  3. Prophetic Texts: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The best charity is the effort of the one with little, given secretly to the poor." He also said, "A servant performs an act secretly, and Allah records it secretly. If he reveals it, Allah transfers it from secret to public record. If he speaks of it, Allah transfers it from both secret and public records and records it as riyāʾ." The famous Hadith mentions seven whom Allah will shade on the Day of Judgment, one of whom is "a man who gave charity secretly such that his left hand did not know what his right hand gave." He also said, "Secret charity extinguishes the Lord's wrath."
  4. Avoiding Harm to the Recipient: Open giving causes harm to the recipient in several ways, which secrecy avoids:
     • Harming Dignity: Open giving exposes the poverty of the recipient, which they may resent.
     • Undermining Self-Restraint: It removes the recipient from the state of self-restraint and not asking, which Allah praises later in the verse: {The ignorant man thinks them rich because of their modesty; you recognize them by their mark. They do not beg from people insistently} (Al-Baqarah: 273).
     • Public Blame: People might accuse the recipient of taking charity when they are not needy, leading to the poor person being condemned and others engaging in backbiting.
     • Humiliation: Open giving involves humiliating and dishonoring the recipient, which is forbidden.
     • Sharing the Gift: Charity is like a gift. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Whoever is gifted something while others are present, they are partners in it." The poor person might feel obligated to share the gift with those present, leading them to act improperly by giving away what is rightfully theirs alone.

• Justification for Open Giving in Voluntary Charity If the giver knows that publicizing the donation will encourage others to give, benefiting the poor, then open giving becomes preferable. Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said, "Secrecy is better than openness, but openness is better for one who wishes to be emulated."
  • Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi explained that if a person performs an act secretly while fighting the inner desire to be seen doing it, the reward is multiplied seventyfold over public giving. However, for those whose desires have died out and whose hearts are immersed in the greatness of Allah, if they perform an act openly, they do not need to struggle against the self, as their desires are extinguished. Their openness is solely to encourage others to emulate them—they are perfected beings striving to perfect others. Allah praised such people, calling them the "Servants of the Most Merciful" and granting them the highest stations, as they prayed: {And make us an example for the righteous} (Al-Furqan: 74). He also praised the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) for enjoining good and forbidding evil (Al Imran: 110).

• Addressing the Preference for Secrecy in the Verse If openness is sometimes better (for emulation), why does the verse state: {And if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you}?
  1. Interpretation of "Better": We deny that {it is better for you} necessarily implies preference (tarjīḥ). It might mean that secret giving is a good deed among good deeds—a form of obedience—not that it is superior to open giving in all circumstances.
  2. Conditionality: Even if it implies preference, it means that if the circumstances are equal (no benefit from emulation), then secrecy is better. If openness brings an additional benefit (like encouraging others), then openness might be preferred.

• Sub-Issue 2: Openness is Better for Obligatory Zakāh
  1. State Mandate: Allah commanded rulers to send collectors to take Zakāh. Paying it to collectors involves openness.
  2. Clearing Suspicion: Openness clears the giver of suspicion of withholding Zakāh. The Prophet (PBUH) prayed most of his obligatory prayers at home, except for the prescribed ones. If the ruling on openness/secrecy differs between obligatory and voluntary prayer to clear suspicion, the same applies to Zakāh.
  3. Promptness: Openly paying Zakāh demonstrates immediate compliance with Allah's command, whereas secrecy might imply neglect of the obligation.

Second Opinion (Al-Hasan al-Basri): The Term Covers Both Obligatory and Voluntary He responded to the arguments for openness in obligatory Zakāh with counterpoints:

1. Risk of Exposure: Publicizing the amount of wealth necessitates revealing the total wealth, which might invite harm from tyrants or increase envy from others. If concealing wealth is better for the individual, then concealing the Zakāh payment must also be better.
2. Context of Revelation: This verse was revealed during the time of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Companions, who were not suspected of neglecting Zakāh. Thus, secrecy was better as it avoided riyāʾ. Now, suspicion exists, making openness preferable due to the need to clear that suspicion.
3. The Meaning of "Better": He agrees that the phrase {it is better for you} might not imply strict preference, as discussed above.

Secrecy (tukhfū) is the opposite of openness (tabdū). The pronoun {it} (fa-huwa) refers back to the act of concealing (the maṣdar implied by the verb).

• Interpretation of "Better": As mentioned, it could mean secret giving is inherently a superior act of goodness, or it could imply preference.
• Condition of Giving to the Poor: Allah conditioned the preference for secrecy on giving it to the poor (wa tuʾtūhu al-fuqarāʾ). This is because when giving secretly, one is more likely to divert the charity to friends or loved ones who may not be eligible for Zakāh. The condition ensures the giver exercises diligence in identifying the truly needy, thereby achieving the virtue of secrecy combined with proper distribution.

The First Issue: Meaning of Takfīr Takfīr linguistically means covering or concealing. A mukaffar man is one covered in armor. One who "atones for his oath" (kaffara ʿan yamīnihi) covers the sin of breaking the oath with the charity given; the expiation acts as a screen for the sin committed.

*The Second Issue: Recitation of {wa yukaffiru}

There are several readings for the verb:

1. wa nukaffiru (We expiate): Recited by Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, and Asim (via Abu Bakr).
   • Justifications: It is coordinated with the implied subject after fa-huwa (which is in the nominative case), or it is the predicate of an omitted subject ("And We are the ones who expiate"), or it is a new, independent clause.
2. wa nukaffir (We expiate, in the jussive case): Recited by Hamzah, Nafi', and Al-Kisāʾī.
   • Justification: It is coordinated with the implied jussive case of the condition {if you conceal them... it is better for you}. If the verse were {if you conceal them, your reward would be greater}, the verb would be jussive.
3. wa yukaffiru (It expiates): Recited by Ibn Amir and Hafs (from Asim), using the third-person masculine singular (Ya').
   • Justification: The following phrase, {And Allah is All-Aware of what you do}, is singular, making this verb form more consistent.
   • Rebuttal: Grammarians argue that switching from plural (We) to singular (It) is permissible, just as Allah switches from singular to plural (e.g., {Glory be to the One Who caused His Servant to travel by night} followed by {And We gave Moses the Scripture}).
4. Other Readings: Al-Kashshāf mentions a reading with ta' (second person feminine singular) in the nominative or jussive, where ṣadaqāt is the subject. Another reading by Al-Hasan uses ta (second person feminine singular) in the accusative, implying: "If you conceal them, it is better for you, and if We expiate your sins, that is better for you."

*The Third Issue: The Meaning of Min in {min sayyiʾātikum}

1. Partial Expiation (Most Correct): It means "some of your sins," as not all sins are expiated by this act alone. The specific sins are left vague because revealing them might encourage committing them, thinking they are covered. The servant must remain between hope and fear, which is maintained through ambiguity.
2. Causal Meaning: Min means "because of" or "on account of." Meaning: "We expiate your sins because of your sins," similar to saying, "I struck you because of your bad temper."
3. Superfluous Particle: Min is extra, as in {fruits of every kind therein} (Muhammad: 15). The meaning would be: "We expiate all your sins." (The first interpretation is considered the soundest.)

{والله بما تعملون خبير} (And Allah is All-Aware of what you do)

This statement points to the preference for secret charity over public charity. It means Allah knows both the secret and the open. Since your intention in giving charity is to seek His pleasure, that purpose is achieved in secret. Therefore, what is the need for openness? This serves as an encouragement toward secrecy, as it is further removed from hypocrisy.

Verse 272

{ليس عليك هداهم ولكن الله يهدى من يشآء وما تنفقوا من خير فلأنفسكم وما تنفقون إلا ابتغآء وجه الله وما تنفقوا من خير يوف إليكم وأنتم لا تظلمون}

{It is not upon you [O Prophet] to guide them, but Allah guides whom He wills.} This addresses the Prophet's (PBUH) intense desire for his people to be guided. Allah clarifies that guidance is His prerogative.

{And whatever good you spend, it is for yourselves.} Whatever good you spend, the benefit returns to you.

{And you do not spend except seeking the Face of Allah.} Your spending must be solely for the sake of Allah's pleasure.

{And whatever good you spend, it will be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wronged.} Whatever good you spend, it will be fully recompensed to you, and you will not suffer the slightest injustice (by having your reward diminished).