Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Isra Verse 29

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And do not keep your hand tied to your neck, nor extend it to the full extent, lest you should be sitting reproached, empty-handed.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Do not be so tight-fisted, for you will be blameworthy; nor so open-handed, for you will end up in poverty.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Do not be too tight-fisted, nor too open-handed, for you will end up blameworthy and destitute.

A. J. Arberry

And keep not thy hand chained to thy neck, nor outspread it widespread altogether, or thou wilt sit reproached and denuded.

Abdul Haleem

Do not be tight-fisted, nor so open-handed that you end up blamed and overwhelmed with regret.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And let not thine hand be chained to thy neck, nor stretch it forth to the utmost stretching, lest thou sit down reproached, impoverished.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Make not thy hand tied (like a niggard's) to thy neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach, so that thou become blameworthy and destitute.

Abul Ala Maududi

(vi) Do not keep your hand fastened to your neck nor outspread it, altogether outspread, for you will be left sitting rebuked, destitute.

Ahmed Ali

Do not be niggardly, nor extravagant that you may later feel reprehensive and constrained.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And do not keep your hand tied to your neck nor open it completely, lest you remain seated – reproached, weary.

Ali Quli Qarai

Do not keep your hand chained to your neck, nor open it altogether, or you will sit blameworthy and regretful.

Ali Ünal

Do not keep your hand bound to your neck (in niggardliness) nor stretch it without any restraint or else you will be left sitting reproached and denuded.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And do not keep your hand shackled to your neck (out of miserliness), nor stretch it out to an entire stretching (extravagantly), lest you sit down reproached (incurring blame) and exhausted (on becoming penniless).

English Literal

And do not make/put your hand chained or tied to your neck and do not spread/extend/widen it all the expansion/extension , so you sit/remain blameworthy/blamed grieving/sad .

Faridul Haque

And do not keep your hand tied to your neck nor open it completely, lest you remain seated - reproached, weary.

Hamid S. Aziz

Let not your hand be fettered to your neck (i.e. selfish and tight fisted), nor yet spread it out quite open, lest you should have to sit down blamed and destitute.

Hilali & Khan

And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And if thou turn away from them to seek mercy from thy Lord, which thou hopest for, speak to them a gentle word.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And do not make your hand to be shackled to your neck nor stretch it forth to the utmost (limit) of its stretching forth, lest you should (afterwards) sit down blamed, stripped off.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor open it with a complete opening, lest thou sit down rebuked, denuded.

Muhammad Sarwar

Do not be stingy nor over generous lest you become empty handed and bankrupt.

Qaribullah & Darwish

And do not keep your hand chained to your neck (when spending), nor open it completely, so that you will sit blamed and destitute.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor overextend it (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty.

Wahiduddin Khan

Be neither miserly, nor so open-handed that you suffer reproach and become destitute.

Talal Itani

And do not keep your hand tied to your neck, nor spread it out fully, lest you end up liable and regretful.

Tafsir jalalayn

And do not keep your hand chained to your neck, in other words, do not withhold it completely from expending, nor open it, in order to expend, completely, or you will sit blameworthy -- this refers to the first case -- and denuded, cut off, having nothing -- this refers to the latter case.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Moderation in Spending

Allah enjoins moderation in living. He condemns miserliness and forbids extravagance.

وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى عُنُقِكَ

And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck,

this means, do not be miserly and stingy, never giving anything to anyone, as the Jews - may the curses of Allah be upon them - said,

"Allah's Hand is tied up (i.e., He does not give and spend of His bounty)."

They attributed miserliness to Him, Exalted and Sanctified be the Most Generous Bestower!

وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ

nor overextend it (like a spendthrift),

means, nor be extravagant in spending and giving more than you can afford, or paying more than you earn, lest you become blameworthy and find yourself in severe poverty.

فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَّحْسُورًا



so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty.

If you are a miser, people will blame you and condemn you, and no longer rely on you. When you spend more than you can afford, you will find yourself without anything to spend, so you will be worn out, like an animal that cannot walk, so it becomes weak and incapable.

It is described as worn out, which is similar in meaning to exhausted.

As Allah says;

الَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَـوَتٍ طِبَاقًا مَّا تَرَى فِى خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَـنِ مِن تَفَـوُتٍ فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَى مِن فُطُورٍ

ثُمَّ اْرجِعِ البَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنقَلِبْ إِلَيْكَ البَصَرُ خَاسِيًا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ

Then look again;"Can you see any rifts" Then look again and yet again, your sight will return to you in a state of humiliation and worn out. (67;3-4)

meaning, unable to see any faults.

Similarly, Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj, Ibn Zayd and others understood this Ayah as miserliness and extravagance.

It was reported in the Two Sahihs from the Hadith of Abu Az-Zinad from Al-A`raj that Abu Hurayrah heard the Messenger of Allah say;

مَثَلُ الْبَخِيلِ وَالْمُنْفِقِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا جُبَّتَانِ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ مِنْ ثُدِيِّهِمَا إِلَى تَرَاقِيهِمَا

فَأَمَّا الْمُنْفِقُ فَلَأ يُنْفِقُ إِلاَّ سَبَغَتْ أَوْ وَفَرَتْ عَلَى جِلْدِهِ حَتَّى تُخْفِيَ بَنَانَهُ وَتَعْفُوَ أَثَرَهُ

وَأَمَّا الْبَخِيلُ فَلَأ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُنْفِقَ شَيْيًا إِلاَّ لَزِقَتْ كُلُّ حَلْقَةٍ مِنْهَا مَكَانَهَا فَهُوَ يُوَسِّعُهَا فَلَأ تَتَّسِع

The parable of the miser and the almsgiver is that of two persons wearing iron cloaks from their chests to their collar-bones.

When the almsgiver gives in charity, the cloak becomes spacious until it covers his whole body to such an extent that it hides his fingertips and covers his tracks (obliterates his tracks - or, his sins will be forgiven).

And when the miser wants to spend, it (the iron cloak) sticks and (its) every ring gets stuck to its place, and he tries to widen it, but it does not become wide.

This version was recorded by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Zakah.

In the Two Sahihs it is recorded that Mu`awiyah bin Abi Muzarrid narrated from Sa`id bin Yasar that Abu Hurayrah said;

"The Messenger of Allah said;

مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ يُصْبِحُ الْعِبَادُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ وَمَلَكَانِ يَنْزِلَاانِ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ

يَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمَا اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُنْفِقًا خَلَفًا

وَيَقُولُ الاْخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُمْسِكًا تَلَفًا

There is no day when a person wakes up but two angels come down from heaven.

One of them says, `O Allah, compensate the one who gives (in charity),' and

the other one says, `O Allah, destroy the one who withholds."'

Muslim recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said;

مَا نَقَصَ مَالٌ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ وَمَا زَادَ اللهُ عَبْدًا أَنْفَقَ إِلاَّ عِزًّا وَمَنْ تَوَاضَعَ للهِ رَفَعَهُ الله

Wealth never decreases because of Sadaqah (charity). Allah never increases a servant who gives in charity except in honor, and whoever is humble for the sake of Allah, Allah will raise him in status.

According to a Hadith narrated by Abu Kathir from Abdullah bin `Amr, who attributed it to the Prophet;

إِيَّاكُمْ وَالشُّحَّ فَإِنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ

أَمَرَهُمْ بِالْبُخْلِ فَبَخِلُوا

وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالْقَطِيعَةِ فَقَطَعُوا

وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالْفُجُورِ فَفَجَرُوا

Beware of stinginess for it destroyed the people who came before you.

It commanded them to be miserly, so they were miserly;

and it commanded them to cut the ties of kinship, so they cut them;

and it commanded them to commit immoral actions, so they did so.