Quran 47:38 — Muhammad, verse 38
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
though now you are called upon to give [a little] for the sake of God, some of you are grudging. Whoever is grudging is so only towards himself: God is the source of wealth and you are the needy ones. He will substitute other people for you if you turn away, and they will not be like you.
هَا أَنْتُمْ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ تُدْعَوْنَ لِتُنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يَبْخَلُ ۖ وَمَنْ يَبْخَلْ فَإِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ الْغَنِيُّ وَأَنْتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ ۚ وَإِنْ تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُونُوا أَمْثَالَكُمْ
hāantum hāulāi tud'ʿawna litunfiqū fī sabīli l-lahi faminkum man yabkhalu waman yabkhal fa-innamā yabkhalu ʿan nafsihi wal-lahu l-ghaniyu wa-antumu l-fuqarāu wa-in tatawallaw yastabdil qawman ghayrakum thumma lā yakūnū amthālakum
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Ha, there you are; you are called upon to expend in God's way, and some of you are niggardly. Whoso is niggardly is niggardly only to his own soul. God is the All-sufficient; you are the needy ones. If you turn away, He will substitute another people instead of you, then they will not be your likes.
- Muhammad Asad
- Behold, [O believers,] it is you who are called upon to spend freely in God’s cause: but [even] among you are such as turn out to be niggardly! And yet, he who acts niggardly [in God’s cause] is but niggardly towards his own self: for God is indeed self-sufficient, whereas you stand in need [of Him]; and if you turn away [from Him], He will cause other people to take your place, and they will not be the likes of you!
- Sahih International
- Here you are - those invited to spend in the cause of Allāh - but among you are those who withhold [out of greed]. And whoever withholds only withholds [benefit] from himself; and Allāh is the Free of need, while you are the needy. And if you turn away [i.e., refuse], He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | هَـٰٓأَنتُمْhāantum | Here you are | — |
| 2 | هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِhāulāi | these | — |
| 3 | تُدْعَوْنَtud'ʿawna | called | دعو |
| 4 | لِتُنفِقُوا۟litunfiqū | to spend | نفق |
| 5 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 6 | سَبِيلِsabīli | (the) way | سبل |
| 7 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 8 | فَمِنكُمfaminkum | but among you | — |
| 9 | مَّنman | (are some) who | — |
| 10 | يَبْخَلُ ۖyabkhalu | withhold | بخل |
| 11 | وَمَنwaman | and whoever | — |
| 12 | يَبْخَلْyabkhal | withholds | بخل |
| 13 | فَإِنَّمَاfa-innamā | then only | — |
| 14 | يَبْخَلُyabkhalu | he withholds | بخل |
| 15 | عَنʿan | from | — |
| 16 | نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚnafsihi | himself | نفس |
| 17 | وَٱللَّهُwal-lahu | But Allah | أله |
| 18 | ٱلْغَنِىُّl-ghaniyu | (is) Free of need | غني |
| 19 | وَأَنتُمُwa-antumu | while you | — |
| 20 | ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ ۚl-fuqarāu | (are) the needy | فقر |
| 21 | وَإِنwa-in | And if | — |
| 22 | تَتَوَلَّوْا۟tatawallaw | you turn away | ولي |
| 23 | يَسْتَبْدِلْyastabdil | He will replace you | بدل |
| 24 | قَوْمًاqawman | (with) a people | قوم |
| 25 | غَيْرَكُمْghayrakum | other than you | غير |
| 26 | ثُمَّthumma | then | — |
| 27 | لَاlā | not | — |
| 28 | يَكُونُوٓا۟yakūnū | they will be | كون |
| 29 | أَمْثَـٰلَكُمamthālakum | (the) likes of you | مثل |