Laysa AAalayka hudahum walakinna Allaha yahdee man yashao wama tunfiqoo min khayrin falianfusikum wama tunfiqoona illa ibtighaa wajhi Allahi wama tunfiqoo min khayrin yuwaffa ilaykum waantum la tuthlamoona
English
Ahmed Ali
It is not for you to guide them: God guides whom He will. Whatever you spend you will do so for yourself, for you will do so to seek the way that leads to God; and what you spend in charity you will get back in full, and no wrong will be done to you.
272
Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : then allah gave dispensation to give alms to the poor among the idolaters and the people of the book. asma' the daughter of abu bakr, or asma' the daughter of abu'l-nadir asked the prophet: o messenger of allah! is it permissible to give alms to our relatives who do not follow our religion? allah answered his prophet by saying: (the guiding of them is not thy duty (o muhammad)) it is not your duty to guide to religion the poor from among the people of the book, (but allah guideth whomever he will) to his religion. (and whatsoever good thing) wealth (ye spend) on the poor, (it is for yourselves) its reward is for yourselves, (when ye spend) on the poor do (not) do so (save in search of allah's countenance) except in seeking allah's pleasure; (and whatsoever good thing) wealth (ye spend) on the poor among the folk of the platform, (it will be repaid to you in full) the reward of it will be saved for you in the hereafter, (and ye will not be wronged) your reward shall not be diminished and your sins will not be increased.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : when the prophet (s) was prohibited from giving voluntary alms to idolaters [as an incentive] for them to embrace islam, the following was revealed: you are not responsible for guiding them, that is to say, for people, that they should embrace islam, [you are responsible] only for conveying the message [to them]; but god guides, with his guidance, whomever he will, to embrace islam. and whatever good, property, you expend is for yourselves, since the reward is for you; for then you are expending, desiring only god’s face (this clause is the predicate, denoting a prohibition), that is to say, his reward and not any other transient object of this world, and whatever good you expend, its requital, shall be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wronged, you will not suffer any diminishment of it (both [of the last two] sentences emphasise the first one).
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (the guiding of them is not thy duty…) [2:272].
ahmad ibn muhammad ibn ahmad ibn al-harith informed us> 'abd allah ibn muhammad ibn ja'far> 'abd al-rahman ibn muhammad ibn muslim> sahl ibn 'uthman al-'askari> jarir> ash'ath ibn ishaq> ja'far ibn al-mughirah> sa'id ibn jubayr who reported that the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, said: “do not give alms except to the people of your own religion”. allah, exalted is he, then revealed (the guiding of them is not thy duty…), upon which the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, said: “give alms to people of other religions”.
ahmad informed us> 'abd allah> 'abd al-rahman> sahl> ibn numayr> al-hajjaj> salman al-makki> ibn al-hanafiyyah who said: “muslims used to dislike giving alms to the poor among the idolaters until this verse was revealed. they were then ordered to give them alms”.
said al-kalbi: “the messenger of allah went to perform the lesser pilgrimage to make up for the lesser pilgrimage which he missed the previous year ('umrat al-qada') and had with him asma' bint abi bakr. the mother of asma', qutaylah, and her grandmother, who were still idolateresses at that time, came to see her and ask her for help. asma' said: 'i will not give you anything until i consult the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, for you do not follow my religion'. she went and consulted him about this matter, upon which allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse. the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, commanded her after the revelation of this verse to give alms to both of them. she gave them alms and helped them”.
said al-kalbi: “there is another way of understanding this verse. it happened that some muslims had relatives, in-laws and ties through suckling among the jews. because of this, they used to help them before the advent of islam. when they became muslim, they disliked to keep on helping them and wanted to force these jews to become muslim. they consulted the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, about this. this verse was revealed as a response to their consultation, after which the muslims continued their help to them”.
