Tafseer of The Cow · Al-Baqara · 2:274
Those who spend their wealth [in Allah 's way] by night and by day, secretly and publicly - they will have their reward with their Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The statement concerning the explanation of His saying, the Exalted: الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلانِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (274)
(Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, in secret and openly, for them is their reward with their Lord; no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.) (2:274)
[Abū Jaʿfar said]:
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6232 – Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to us, saying: Muʿtamir related to us, on the authority of Ayman ibn Nābil, who said: An old man from [the tribe of] Ghāfiq related to me: that Abū al-Dardāʾ used to look at the horses that stood tethered among the pack-horses (barādhīn) and the half-breeds (hujn). Then he would say: "The owners of these — he means the horses — are among those who spend their wealth by night and by day, in secret and openly; for them is their reward with their Lord, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve."
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And others said: By this is meant a people who spent in the way of Allah, without extravagance and without miserliness.
* Mention of who said that:
6233 – Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: "Those who spend their wealth" up to His saying: "nor shall they grieve" — these are the people of the Garden (janna).
It has been related to us that the Prophet of Allah ﷺ used to say: "Those who possess much wealth, they are the lowest." They said: "O Prophet of Allah, except whom?" He said: "Those who possess much wealth, they are the lowest." They said: "O Prophet of Allah, except whom?" He said: "Those who possess much wealth, they are the lowest." They said: "O Prophet of Allah, except whom?" — until they feared that it had already passed and there was no returning to it, until he said: "Except the one who did with his wealth thus and thus, to his right and to his left, and thus before himself, and thus behind himself — and few are they." [He — that is, Qatāda — said]: "These are a people who spent in the way of Allah, which He has imposed and with which He is pleased, without squandering and without impoverishment and without lavish wastefulness and without corruption."
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And it has been said that these verses, from His saying: "If you give the alms openly, then that is excellent" up to His saying: "no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve," were among what was put into practice before the revelation of what is in "Sūrat Barāʾa" concerning the detailed regulation of the alms (zakāh). When "Barāʾa" was revealed, they were restricted to that.
* Mention of who said that:
6234 – Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: My father related to me, saying: My uncle related to me, saying: My father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: "If you give the alms openly, then that is excellent" up to His saying: "no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve" — this was put into practice before "Barāʾa" was revealed. When "Barāʾa" was revealed with the obligations of the alms and the detailed regulation thereof, the alms came to their end [that is, they were restricted to those regulations].
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