Ya-Sin 36:47
Ya Sin · Meccan · Juz 23 · Page 443
Avoiding Sharing
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمۡ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَنُطۡعِمُ مَن لَّوۡ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ أَطۡعَمَهُۥٓ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلࣲ مُّبِينࣲ ٤٧
And when it is said unto them: Spend of that wherewith Allah hath provided you, those who disbelieve say unto those who believe: Shall we feed those whom Allah, if He willed, would feed? Ye are in naught else than error manifest.
Translation: Marmaduke Pickthall
Meaning
When told “Spend of what Allah has provided you”, the disbelievers say: “Shall we feed those whom Allah would feed if He willed?”
Insight
Elmalılı relates that this verse came down about some freethinkers in Mecca: when urged to give charity, they would say “Allah makes them poor; are we to feed them?” They made fate an excuse for not sharing.
Reflect
Today, don’t say “someone else will do it”; do a small kindness yourself.
This short note is based on Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır’s Turkish commentary and has not yet been reviewed by a scholar.
Elmalılı’s commentary
An English translation of Elmalılı’s full commentary is coming soon. Read the original Turkish ›