ٱلْبَقَرَة : ٢٧٣

  • لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ For the poor
  • ٱلَّذِينَ those who
  • أُحۡصِرُواْ are wrapped up
  • فِي in
  • سَبِيلِ (the) way
  • ٱللَّهِ (of) Allah
  • لَا not
  • يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ they are able
  • ضَرۡبٗا (to) move about
  • فِي in
  • ٱلۡأَرۡضِ the earth
  • يَحۡسَبُهُمُ Think (about) them
  • ٱلۡجَاهِلُ the ignorant one
  • أَغۡنِيَآءَ (that they are) self-sufficient
  • مِنَ (because) of
  • ٱلتَّعَفُّفِ (their) restraint
  • تَعۡرِفُهُم you recognize them
  • بِسِيمَٰهُمۡ by their mark
  • لَا Not
  • يَسۡـَٔلُونَ (do) they ask
  • ٱلنَّاسَ the people
  • إِلۡحَافٗاۗ with importunity
  • وَمَا And whatever
  • تُنفِقُواْ you spend
  • مِنۡ of
  • خَيۡرٖ good
  • فَإِنَّ then indeed
  • ٱللَّهَ Allah
  • بِهِۦ of it
  • عَلِيمٌ (is) All-Knower
[Charity is] for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allāh, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at all]. And whatever you spend of good - indeed, Allāh is Knowing of it.
For the poor (this is the predicate of the missing subject, al-sadaqaat, 'voluntary almsgiving'), who are constrained in the way of God, those who have confined themselves [in preparation] for the struggle: this was revealed concerning the people of Suffa, consisting in some four hundred of the Emigrants (muhaajiroon), set apart [from the other Muslims] for the study of Al-Qur'an and to take part in raids; and they are unable to journey (darban, means safaran) in the land, to engage in commerce and earn their living, since they are fully engaged in the struggle; the ignorant man supposes them, on account of the way they behave, rich because of their abstinence, that is, their refraining from asking for things; but you, the one being addressed, shall know them by their mark, by the signs of their humility and exertion; they do not beg of men, and make urgent demands, importunately, that is to say, they do not beg in the first place, so there is no question of persistence. And whatever good you expend, surely God has knowledge of it, and will requite it accordingly.