Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 264

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, do not nullify your acts of charity by boasting about (doing people a) favour and by causing (them) hurt, like the one who spends his wealth to show off before peopleand does not believe in Allah and in the Last Day. So, his example is like a rock on which there is dust, then a heavy rain came over it and left it barren. They have no ability to gain anything out of what they have done, and Allah does not give guidance to the people who disbelieve.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Do not waste your charity with reminders ˹of your generosity˺ or hurtful words, like those who donate their wealth just to show off and do not believe in Allah or the Last Day. Their example is that of a hard barren rock covered with a thin layer of soil hit by a strong rain—leaving it just a bare stone. Such people are unable to preserve the reward of their charity. Allah does not guide ˹such˺ disbelieving people.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, do not nullify your charities with reminders and hurtful words, like the one who spends his wealth to show off before people, but does not believe in Allah or the Last Day. His likeness is that of a smooth rock upon which is dust, when it is hit by a heavy rain it is left bare. They will gain no reward from their deeds, and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, void not your freewill offerings with reproach and injury, as one who expends of his substance to show off to men and believes not in God and the Last Day. The likeness of him is as the likeness of a smooth rock on which is soil, and a torrent smites it, and leaves it barren. They have no power over anything that they have earned. God guides not the people of the unbelievers.

Abdul Haleem

You who believe, do not cancel out your charitable deeds with reminders and hurtful words, like someone who spends his wealth only to be seen by people, not believing in God and the Last Day. Such a person is like a rock with earth on it: heavy rain falls and leaves it completely bare. Such people get no rewards for their works: God does not guide the disbelievers.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O O Ye who believe! make not your alms void by laying an obligation and by hurt, like unto him who expendeth his substance to be seen of men, and believeth not in Allah and the Last Day. The likeness of him is as the likeness of a smooth stone whereon is dust; a heavy rain falleth upon it, and leaveth it bare. They shall not have power over aught of that which they have earned and Allah shall not guide the disbelieving people.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury,- like those who spend their substance to be seen of men, but believe neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. They are in parable like a hard, barren rock, on which is a little soil; on it falls heavy rain, which leaves it (Just) a bare stone. They will be able to do nothing with aught they have earned. And Allah guideth not those who reject faith.

Abul Ala Maududi

O Believers, do not spoil your charity by taunts and injury to the recipients like the one who practises charity to be seen by men, while he neither believes in Allah nor in the Last Day. His charity may be likened to the rainfall on a rock which had only a thin layer of soil upon it. When heavy rain fell on it, the whole of the soil washed away and the rock was left bare Such people do not gain the reward they imagine they have earned by their seeming charity; Allah does not show the Right Way to the ungrateful.

Ahmed Ali

O believers, do not nullify your charity by giving to oblige and flaunting (your favours) like a man who spends of his wealth only to show off, but does not believe in God and the Last Day. His semblance is that of a rock covered with earth which is washed away by rain exposing the hard rock bare. So they gain nothing from their earnings. God does not guide a people who do not believe.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! Do not invalidate your charity by expressing favour and causing injury – like one who spends his wealth for people to see, and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day; his example is similar to that of a rock covered with dust and hard rain fell on it, leaving it as a bare rock; they shall get no control over (or benefit from) anything they have earned; and Allah does not guide the disbelievers.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Do not render your charities void by reproaches and affronts, like those who spend their wealth to be seen by people and have no faith in Allah and the Last Day. Their parable is that of a rock covered with soil: a downpour strikes it, leaving it bare. They have no power over anything of what they have earned, and Allah does not guide the faithless lot.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! Render not vain your almsgiving by putting (the receiver) under an obligation and taunting – like him who spends his wealth to show off to people and be praised by them, and believes not in God and the Last Day. The parable of his spending is that of a rock on which there is soil; a heavy rain falls upon it, and leaves it barren. They have no power (control) over what they have earned. God guides not such disbelieving people (to attain their goals).

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! Do not render void your charities by (a show of) obligation and injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen by people and does not believe in Allâh and the Last Day. So his case is like the case of a smooth rock with some soil thereon, when heavy rain hits it leaves it bare and hard. They shall not be able to gain anything of what they accomplished. And Allâh does not guide such disbelieving people to the way of success.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, do not waste/cancel your charities with the bragging and the mild harm, as that who spends his property/wealth showing off/pretending (to) the people, and does not believe with God, and the Day the Last/Resurrection Day, so his example/proverb (is as the) example (of) a smooth rock , on it (is) dust/earth, so struck it a heavy rain , so it left it hard/smooth , they are not capable on a thing from what they gathered/earned , and God does not guide the nation, the disbelieving.

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! Do not invalidate your charity by expressing favour and causing injury - like one who spends his wealth for people to see, and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day; his example is similar to that of a rock covered with dust and hard rain fell on it, leaving it as a bare rock; they shall get no control over (or benefit from) anything they have earned; and Allah does not guide the disbelievers.

Hamid S. Aziz

O you who believe! Make not your almsgiving vain by reproach (or reminders of your generosity) and injury, like him who expends what he has for the sake of appearances before men, and believes not in Allah and the Last Day; for his likeness is as the likeness of a flint with soil upon it, and a heavy shower falls on it and leaves it bare rock; they can do naught with what they earn, for Allah guides not the misbelieving folk.

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

O you who believe, make not your charity worthless by reproach and injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men and believes not in Allah and the Last Day. So His parable is as the parable of a smooth rock with earth upon it, then heavy rain falls upon it, so it leaves it bare! They are not able to gain anything of that which they earn. And Allah guides not the disbelieving people.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! do not make your charity worthless by reproach and injury, like him who spends his property to be seen of men and does not believe in Allah and the last day; so his parable is as the parable of a smooth rock with earth upon it, then a heavy rain falls upon it, so it leaves it bare; they shall not be able to gain anything of what they have earned; and Allah does not guide the unbelieving people.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! Render not vain your almsgiving by reproach and injury, like him who spendeth his wealth only to be seen of men and believeth not in Allah and the Last Day. His likeness is as the likeness of a rock whereon is dust of earth; a rainstorm smiteth it, leaving it smooth and bare. They have no control of aught of that which they have gained. Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, do not make your charities fruitless by reproachfully reminding the recipient of your favor or making them feel insulted, like the one who spends his property to show off and who has no faith in God or belief in the Day of Judgment. The example of his deed is as though some soil has gathered on a rock and after a rain fall it turns hard and barren. Such people can not benefit from what they have earned. God does not guide the unbelievers.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, do not annul your charitable giving with reproach and hurt, like he who spends his wealth to show off to the people and believes neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. His likeness is as a smooth rock covered with dust, if a heavy rain strikes it, it leaves it bare. They have no power over what they have earned. Allah does not guide the nation, the unbelievers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.

Wahiduddin Khan

Believers, do not cancel out your charitable deeds with reminders and hurtful words, like one who spends his wealth only to be seen by people, and not believing in God and the Last Day. Such men are like a rock covered with earth: a shower falls upon it and leaves it hard and bare. They will gain nothing from their works. God does not guide those who deny the truth.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! Do not nullify your charitable deeds with reminders and hurtful words, like him who spends his wealth to be seen by the people, and does not believe in God and the Last Day. His likeness is that of a smooth rock covered with soil: a downpour strikes it, and leaves it bare—they gain nothing from their efforts. God does not guide the disbelieving people.

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe, annul not, the rewards of, your voluntary almsgivings with reproach and injury, as, in the manner of the annulment of the expenditure of, one who expends of his substance to show off to men and believes not in God and the Last Day; this is the hypocrite. The likeness of him is as the likeness of a smooth rock on which is soil, and a torrent, of intense rain, smites it, and leaves it barren, and smooth with nothing on it. They have no power (l yaqdirna is a resumption of the statement about the likeness of the one that expends for show; the person becomes plural on account of the [potential plural] implication of alladh, `the one who') over anything that they have earned, that they did, in other words, they find no reward for it in the Hereafter, just as one finds nothing of the dust that was on the surface of the smooth rock, after the rain has washed it away. God guides not the disbelieving folk.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تُبْطِلُواْ صَدَقَاتِكُم بِالْمَنِّ وَالاذَى

O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury,

stating that the charity will be rendered in vain if it is followed by harm or reminders. In this case, the reward of giving away charity is not sufficient enough to nullify the harm and reminders.

Allah then said,

كَالَّذِي يُنفِقُ مَالَهُ رِيَاء النَّاسِ

like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men,

meaning, "Do not nullify your acts of charity by following them with reminders and harm, just like the charity of those who give it to show off to people."

The boasting person pretends to give away charity for Allah's sake, but in reality seeks to gain people's praise and the reputation of being kind or generous, or other material gains of this life. All the while, he does not think about Allah or gaining His pleasure and generous rewards, and this is why Allah said,

وَلَا يُوْمِنُ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاخِرِ

and he does not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day.

Allah next set the example of whoever gives charity to show off.

Ad-Dahhak commented that the example fits one who follows his acts of charity with reminders or harm.

Allah said,

فََََمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ

His likeness is the likeness of Safwan,

where Safwan, from is Safwanah, meaning `the smooth rocks,'

عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ

on which is little dust; on it falls a Wabil,

meaning, heavy rain.

فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْدًا

which leaves it bare.

This Ayah means that heavy rain left the Safwan completely barren of dust. Such is the case with Allah's action regarding the work of those who show off, as their deeds are bound to vanish and disappear, even though people think that these deeds are as plentiful as specks of dust.

So Allah said,

لااَّ يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُواْ وَاللّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ



They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people