Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 79

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(Among the hypocrites, there are) those who taunt the believers who voluntarily give alms and have nothing but their hard earnings; still they mock at such people. Allah mocks at them, and for them there is a painful punishment.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹There are˺ those who slander ˹some of˺ the believers for donating liberally and mock others for giving only the little they can afford. Allah will throw their mockery back at them, and they will suffer a painful punishment.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Those who disparage the believers who voluntarily give charities and ridicule them for having nothing to give except their effort. Allah will ridicule them, and for them there will be a painful punishment.

A. J. Arberry

Those who find fault with the believers who volunteer their freewill offerings, and those who find nothing but their endeavour they deride -- God derides them; for them awaits a painful chastisement.

Abdul Haleem

It is they who criticize the believers who give freely and those who can only give a little with great effort: they scoff at such people, but it is God who scoffs at them- a painful punishment awaits them.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

These are they who traduce those who give alms cheerfully, from among the believers, and those who find not anything to give but their hard earnings: at them they scoff. Allah shall scoff back at them. and theirs shall be a torment afflictive.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Those who slander such of the believers as give themselves freely to (deeds of) charity, as well as such as can find nothing to give except the fruits of their labour,- and throw ridicule on them,- Allah will throw back their ridicule on them; and they shall have a grievous penalty.

Abul Ala Maududi

He also knows (the rich that are niggardly) who taunt the believers that voluntarily give alms, they scoff at those who have nothing to give except what they earn through their hard toil. Allah scoffs at them in return. A grievous chastisement awaits them.

Ahmed Ali

They who defame those of the believers who give alms willingly, and deride those who have nothing besides what they earn by their labour (to give in charity), will be derided by God, and will suffer painful punishment.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Those who find fault in the Muslims who give the charity wholeheartedly and in those who gain nothing except from their own toil – so they mock at them; Allah will punish them for their mocking; and for them is a painful punishment.

Ali Quli Qarai

Those who blame the voluntary donors from among the faithful concerning the charities—and as for those who do not find [anything] except [what] their means [permit], they ridicule them—Allah shall put them to ridicule, and there is a painful punishment for them.

Ali Ünal

They taunt the believers, who give for God’s sake more than they are duty-bound to give, as well as those who can find nothing to give except (what they earn through) their hard toil, and they scoff at them. God causes their scoffing to rebound on themselves, and for them is a painful punishment.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(It is the hypocrites) who find fault with those of the believers who give alms voluntarily and freely and deride such believers who find nothing (to contribute) except their service (or the meager fruit of their toil). Allâh shall look down upon them (for their derision) and for them is a grievous punishment.

English Literal

Those who backbite/find fault in the volunteers from the believers in the charities, and those who do not find except their struggle/exertion so they humiliate/ridicule from them, God mocked/ridiculed from them, and for them (is) a painful torture.

Faridul Haque

Those who find fault in the Muslims who give the charity wholeheartedly and in those who gain nothing except from their own toil - so they mock at them; Allah will punish them for their mocking; and for them is a painful punishment.

Hamid S. Aziz

Those who defame such of the believers as willingly give their alms, and such as can find nothing to give but their exertions and who mock at them - Allah Himself mocks them. Theirs is a grievous woe!

Hilali & Khan

Those who defame such of the believers who give charity (in Allah's Cause) voluntarily, and those who could not find to give charity (in Allah's Cause) except what is available to them, so they mock at them (believers), Allah will throw back their mockery on them, and they shall have a painful torment.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Know they not that Allah knows their hidden thoughts and their secret counsels, and that Allah is the great Knower of the unseen things?

Mohammad Habib Shakir

They who taunt those of the faithful who give their alms freely, and those who give to the extent of their earnings and scoff at them; Allah will pay them back their scoffing, and they shall have a painful chastisement.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Those who point at such of the believers as give the alms willingly and such as can find naught to give but their endeavours, and deride them - Allah (Himself) derideth them. Theirs will be a painful doom.

Muhammad Sarwar

God mocks those (hypocrites) who blame and mock the rich or poor believers who donate to the welfare funds, and He has prepared a painful torment for them.

Qaribullah & Darwish

As for those who taunt the believers who give charity voluntarily, and scoff at those who give according to their means, Allah will scoff at them. Theirs shall be a painful punishment.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Those who defame such of the believers who give charity voluntarily, and such who could not find to give charity except what is available to them -- so they mock at them (believers); Allah will throw back their mockery on them, and they shall have a painful torment.

Wahiduddin Khan

As for those who ridicule such believers as give alms freely for the sake of God and taunt those who find nothing to give save that which they earn through their toil, God will cause their ridicule to rebound on them: they shall have a painful punishment.

Talal Itani

Those who criticize the believers who give charity voluntarily, and ridicule those who find nothing to give except their own efforts—God ridicules them. They will have a painful punishment.

Tafsir jalalayn

When the verse concerning `voluntary alms' [Q. 9;75] was revealed, a man came and gave a large amount as voluntary alms, so the hypocrites said, `He is [merely] showing off!' Another man then came and gave a [moderate] measure [of food], and so they said, `God has no need of this man's charity!' The following was then revealed; Those who (alladhna is the subject) find fault with, defame, the believers who offer alms voluntarily, performing supererogation, and such as find nothing [to offer] but their endeavours, [nothing but] what they are capable of, and offer it; and deride them (and the predicate [of the mentioned subject] is [the following]) -- God [Himself] derides them, He has requited them for their derision, and theirs will be a painful chastisement.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Hypocrites defame Believers Who give the Little Charity They can afford

Allah warns;

الَّذِينَ يَلْمِزُونَ الْمُطَّوِّعِينَ مِنَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ فِي الصَّدَقَاتِ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ إِلاَّ جُهْدَهُمْ

Those who defame such of the believers who give charity voluntarily, and such who could not find to give charity except what is available to them --

Among the traits of the hypocrites is that they will not leave anyone without defaming and ridiculing him in all circumstances even those who give away charity.

If, for instance, someone gives away a large amount, the hypocrites say that he is showing off. If someone gives away a small amount they say that Allah stands not in need of this man's charity.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ubaydullah bin Sa`id said that Abu An-Nu`man Al-Basri said that Shu`bah narrated that Sulayman said that Abu Wa'il said that Abu Mas`ud said,

"When the verses of charity were revealed, we used to work as porters. A man came and distributed objects of charity in abundance and they (hypocrites) said, `He is showing off.'

Another man came and gave a Sa` (a small measure of food grains); they said, `Allah is not in need of this small amount of charity.'

Then the Ayah was revealed;
الَّذِينَ يَلْمِزُونَ الْمُطَّوِّعِينَ
(Those who defame the volunteers...)."

Muslim collected this Hadith in the Sahih.

Al-Awfi narrated that Ibn Abbas said,

"One day, the Messenger of Allah went out to the people and called them to bring forth their charity, and they started bringing their charity. Among the last to come forth was a man who brought a Sa` of dates, saying, `O Allah's Messenger! This is a Sa` of dates. I spent the night bringing water and earned two Sa` of dates for my work. I kept one Sa` and brought you the other Sa`.'

The Messenger of Allah ordered him to add it to the charity.

Some men mocked that man, saying, `Allah and His Messenger are not in need of this charity. What benefit would this Sa` of yours bring'

Abdur-Rahman bin Awf asked Allah's Messenger, `Are there any more people who give charity?'

The Messenger of Allah said,

لَمْ يَبْقَ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُك

None besides you!

Abdur-Rahman bin Awf said, `I will give a hundred Uqiyah of gold as a charity.'

Umar bin Al-Khattab said to him, `Are you crazy?'

Abdur-Rahman said, `I am not crazy.'

Umar said, `Have you given what you said would give!'

Abdur-Rahman said, `Yes. I have eight thousand (Dirhams), four thousand I give as a loan to my Lord and four thousand I keep for myself.'

The Messenger of Allah said,

بَارَكَ اللهُ لَكَ فِيمَا أَمْسَكْتَ وَفِيمَا أَعْطَيْت

May Allah bless you for what you kept and what you gave away.

However, the hypocrites defamed him, `By Allah! Abdur-Rahman gave what he gave just to show off.'

They lied, for Abdur-Rahman willingly gave that money, and Allah revealed about his innocence and the innocence of the fellow who was poor and brought only a Sa` of dates.

Allah said in His Book,

الَّذِينَ يَلْمِزُونَ الْمُطَّوِّعِينَ مِنَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ فِي الصَّدَقَاتِ

Those who defame such of the believers who give charity voluntarily."'

A similar story was narrated from Mujahid and several others.

Ibn Ishaq said,

"Among the believers who gave away charity were Abdur-Rahman bin Awf who gave four thousand Dirhams and Asim bin Adi from Bani Ajlan.

This occurred after the Messenger of Allah encouraged and called for paying charity.

Abdur-Rahman bin Awf stood and gave away four thousand Dirhams.

Asim bin Adi also stood and gave a hundred Wasaq of dates, but some people defamed them, saying, `They are showing off.' As for the person who gave the little that he could afford, he was Abu Aqil, from Bani Anif Al-Arashi, who was an ally of Bani Amr bin Awf. He brought a Sa` of dates and added it to the charity. They laughed at him, saying, `Allah does not need the Sa` of Abu Aqil."'

Allah said,

فَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنْهُمْ سَخِرَ اللّهُ مِنْهُمْ

so they mock at them (believers); Allah will throw back their mockery on them,

rebuking them for their evil actions and defaming the believers. Truly, the reward, or punishment, is equitable to the action. Allah treated them the way mocked people are treated, to aid the believers in this life. Allah has prepared a painful torment in the Hereafter for the hypocrites, for the recompense is similar to the deed.

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ



and they shall have a painful torment