يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُبْطِلُوا۟ صَدَقَٰتِكُم بِٱلْمَنِّ وَٱلْأَذَىٰ كَٱلَّذِى يُنفِقُ مَالَهُۥ رِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ ۖ فَمَثَلُهُۥ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُۥ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُۥ صَلْدًا ۖ لَّا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
See 2:263.
4:39; 8:48.
14:19.
Important Words:
رئاء (to be seen) is derived from رأی i.e. he saw with his physical or mental eyes. الرئاء means, to make a show of goodness or virtue without there being any sincere or genuine feeling behind it, simply to be seen of men (Aqrab & Mufradat).
صفوان (smooth rock) is in the measure of رحمان being derived from صفا i.e. it became clear or pure and was free from dirt, etc. صفوان besides being used in the singular number is also the plural of صفاة meaning, a smooth and hard rock (Aqrab).
وابل (heavy rain) is derived from وبل. They say وبله بالعصا i.e. he beat or battered him with a rod continuously. وبلت السماءmeans, the sky poured forth heavy rain (Aqrab).
صلد (bare, smooth and hard) is from صلد. They say صلدالزند i.e. the material, meant for producing fire gave out a sound but no Spark. صلد الارض means, the earth became hard. صلد السائل means, he turned away the beggar without giving him anything. صلد is, therefore, spoken of such rock or piece of ground as is hard and smooth and grows nothing (Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse makes it clear that a Muslim who follows up his charity with taunt and injury, undoes his own good act and will have no reward with God. He is like a disbeliever who spends merely to be seen of and praised by men. The words, ‘and he believes not in Allah and the Last Day’ have been added because sometimes even a believer does a deed to be seen of men, and that act of his has a useful purpose. For instance, it is on record that once a Companion of the Holy Prophet was seen strutting before the hostile Quraish of Mecca. When the Prophet saw the man thus walking, he said, "This gait is hateful to God, but on the present occasion it is not so." In fact, there had been an outbreak of fever among the Companions who were greatly weakened thereby, and the aforesaid Muslim walked with a boastful gait in order to make a display of his strength so that the enemy might not think that the Muslims had been weakened by fever. This turned an ordinarily reprehensible act into a praiseworthy one. Elsewhere Muslims have been bidden to spend their money not only secretly but also openly (2:275), and the object underlying this injunction is that other Muslims, seeing a brother of theirs expending money in the cause of God, may be induced to follow his good example. But he who has no faith in God expends his money openly solely with the object of winning the good opinion of men, and such a one has no reward with God.
The concluding portion of the verse likens a disbeliever to a smooth rock which is not fit for producing a crop; but sometimes, when it is covered with a layer of dust, some corn may grow on it, i.e. when circumstances are favourable and such person does some really good deed, he derives some benefit from it. But when he spends money merely for the sake of display and show, his good deeds are wasted, just as a heavy rain washes away the dust from the surface of a smooth and hard rock, leaving it bare and unproductive.
See 2:263.
4:39; 8:48.
14:19.
Elsewhere, Muslims have also been enjoined to spend their wealth openly (2:275); the object underlying being that other Muslims may be induced to follow their good example. But he who has no faith in God expends his money openly solely to win public approbation. Such a one loses all title to any reward from God.