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Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 215 (2:215)

ٱلْبَقَرَة

يَسَْٔلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ ۖ قُلْ مَآ أَنفَقْتُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ …

Quran 2:215 is ayah 215 of Surah Al-Baqarah (“The Cow”), a Medinan surah of 286 ayahs. It is in Juz 2, on page 33 of the Madani Mushaf.

2:215
يَسَْٔلُونَكَمَاذَايُنفِقُونَ ۖقُلْمَآأَنفَقْتُممِّنْخَيْرٍفَلِلْوَٰلِدَيْنِوَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَوَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰوَٱلْمَسَٰكِينِوَٱبْنِٱلسَّبِيلِ ۗوَمَاتَفْعَلُوا۟مِنْخَيْرٍفَإِنَّٱللَّهَبِهِۦعَلِيمٌ٢١٥
yasalūnaka mādhā yunfiqūna qul mā anfaqtum min khayrin falil'wālidayni wal-aqrabīna wal-yatāmā wal-masākīni wa-ib'ni l-sabīli wamā tafʿalū min khayrin fa-inna l-laha bihi ʿalīmun

They ask you, [O Muḥammad], what they should spend. Say, "Whatever you spend of good is [to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allāh is Knowing of it."(215)

Word by word

  1. يَسَْٔلُونَكَyasalūnakaThey ask you
  2. مَاذَاmādhāwhat
  3. يُنفِقُونَ ۖyunfiqūnathey (should) spend
  4. قُلْqulSay
  5. مَآmāWhatever
  6. أَنفَقْتُمanfaqtumyou spend
  7. مِّنْminof
  8. خَيْرٍkhayringood
  9. فَلِلْوَٰلِدَيْنِfalil'wālidayni(is) for parents
  10. وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَwal-aqrabīnaand the relatives
  11. وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰwal-yatāmāand the orphans
  12. وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينِwal-masākīniand the needy
  13. وَٱبْنِwa-ib'niand (of)
  14. ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۗl-sabīlithe wayfarer
  15. وَمَاwamāAnd whatever
  16. تَفْعَلُوا۟tafʿalūyou do
  17. مِنْminof
  18. خَيْرٍkhayringood
  19. فَإِنَّfa-innaSo indeed
  20. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  21. بِهِۦbihiof it
  22. عَلِيمٌʿalīmun(is) All-Aware

Tafsir (commentary) of 2:215

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Who deserves the Nafaqah (Spending or Charity)

Muqatil bin Hayyan said that this Ayah was revealed about the voluntary charity. The Ayah means, `They ask you (O Muhammad ) how they should spend,' as Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid have stated. So, Allah explained it for them, saying:

قُلْ مَآ أَنفَقْتُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِلْوَلِدَيْنِ وَالاٌّقْرَبِينَ وَالْيَتَـمَى وَالْمَسَـكِينَ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ

(Say: "Whatever you spend of good must be for parents and kindred and orphans and Al-Masakin and the wayfarer,") meaning, spend it on these categories or areas. Similarly, a Hadith states (that those who deserve one's generosity the most, are):

«أُمَّكَ وَأَبَاكَ وَأُخْتَكَ وَأَخَاكَ ثُمَّ أَدْنَاكَ أَدْنَاك»

(Your mother, father, sister, brother, the closest and then the farthest (relatives).)

Maymun bin Mihran once recited this Ayah (2:215) and commented, "These are the areas of spending. Allah did not mention among them the drums, pipe, wooden pictures, or the curtains that cover the walls."

Next, Allah said:

وَمَا تَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ

(...and whatever you do of good deeds, truly, Allah knows it well.) meaning, whatever you perform of good works, Allah knows them and He will reward you for them in the best manner, no one will be dealt with unjustly, even the weight of an atom.

Read the full Surah Al-Baqarah