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Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 265 (2:265)

ٱلْبَقَرَة

وَمَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمُ ٱبْتِغَآءَ مَرْضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ وَتَثْبِيتًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ …

Quran 2:265 is ayah 265 of Surah Al-Baqarah (“The Cow”), a Medinan surah of 286 ayahs. It is in Juz 3, on page 45 of the Madani Mushaf.

2:265
وَمَثَلُٱلَّذِينَيُنفِقُونَأَمْوَٰلَهُمُٱبْتِغَآءَمَرْضَاتِٱللَّهِوَتَثْبِيتًامِّنْأَنفُسِهِمْكَمَثَلِجَنَّةٍۭبِرَبْوَةٍأَصَابَهَاوَابِلٌفََٔاتَتْأُكُلَهَاضِعْفَيْنِفَإِنلَّمْيُصِبْهَاوَابِلٌفَطَلٌّ ۗوَٱللَّهُبِمَاتَعْمَلُونَبَصِيرٌ٢٦٥
wamathalu alladhīna yunfiqūna amwālahumu ib'tighāa marḍāti l-lahi watathbītan min anfusihim kamathali jannatin birabwatin aṣābahā wābilun faātat ukulahā ḍiʿ'fayni fa-in lam yuṣib'hā wābilun faṭallun wal-lahu bimā taʿmalūna baṣīrun

And the example of those who spend their wealth seeking means to the approval of Allāh and assuring [reward for] themselves is like a garden on high ground which is hit by a downpour - so it yields its fruits in double. And [even] if it is not hit by a downpour, then a drizzle [is sufficient]. And Allāh, of what you do, is Seeing.(265)

Word by word

  1. وَمَثَلُwamathaluAnd (the) example
  2. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna(of) those who
  3. يُنفِقُونَyunfiqūnaspend
  4. أَمْوَٰلَهُمُamwālahumutheir wealth
  5. ٱبْتِغَآءَib'tighāaseeking
  6. مَرْضَاتِmarḍāti(the) pleasure
  7. ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
  8. وَتَثْبِيتًاwatathbītanand certainty
  9. مِّنْminfrom
  10. أَنفُسِهِمْanfusihimtheir (inner) souls
  11. كَمَثَلِkamathali(is) like
  12. جَنَّةٍۭjannatina garden
  13. بِرَبْوَةٍbirabwatinon a height
  14. أَصَابَهَاaṣābahāfell on it
  15. وَابِلٌwābilunheavy rain
  16. فََٔاتَتْfaātatso it yielded
  17. أُكُلَهَاukulahāits harvest
  18. ضِعْفَيْنِḍiʿ'faynidouble
  19. فَإِنfa-inThen if
  20. لَّمْlam(does) not
  21. يُصِبْهَاyuṣib'hāfall (on) it
  22. وَابِلٌwābilunheavy rain
  23. فَطَلٌّ ۗfaṭallunthen a drizzle
  24. وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
  25. بِمَاbimāof what
  26. تَعْمَلُونَtaʿmalūnayou do
  27. بَصِيرٌbaṣīrun(is) All-Seer

Tafsir (commentary) of 2:265

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

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

وَتَثْبِيتًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ

(while they in their own selves are sure and certain) meaning, they are certain that Allah shall reward them for these righteous acts with the best rewards. Similarly, in a Hadith collected by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا»

(Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and expectation...) meaning, believing that Allah commanded the fast, all the while awaiting His reward for fasting it.

Allah's statement,

كَمَثَلِ جَنَّةٍ بِرَبْوَةٍ

(is that of a garden on a Rabwah) means, the example of a garden on `a height above the ground', as the majority of scholars have stated. Ibn `Abbas and Ad-Dahhak added that it also has flowing rivers.

Allah's statement,

أَصَابَهَا وَابِلٌ

(Wabil falls on it) means, heavy rain as we stated, So it produces its,

أُكُلُهَا

(yield of harvest) meaning, fruits or produce,

ضِعْفَيْنِ

(doubles), as compared to other gardens.

فَإِن لَّمْ يُصِبْهَا وَابِلٌ فَطَلٌّ

(And if it does not receive Wabil, a Tall suffices it.)

Ad-Dahhak said that the `Tall' is light rain. The Ayah indicates that the garden on the Rabwah is always fertile, for if heavy rain does not fall on it, light rain will suffice for it. Such is the case regarding the believer's good deeds, for they never become barren. Rather, Allah accepts the believer's righteous deeds and increases them, each according to his deeds. This is why Allah said next,

وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

(And Allah is All-Seer of what you do) meaning, none of His servants' deeds ever escapes His perfect watch.

Read the full Surah Al-Baqarah