ONE AYAT A DAY
لِلْفُقَرَاۤءِ الَّذِيْنَ اُحْصِرُوْا فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ لَا يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ ضَرْبًا فِى الْاَرْضِۖ يَحْسَبُهُمُ الْجَاهِلُ اَغْنِيَاۤءَ مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِۚ تَعْرِفُهُمْ بِسِيْمٰهُمْۚ لَا يَسْـَٔلُوْنَ النَّاسَ اِلْحَافًا ۗوَمَا تُنْفِقُوْا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِهٖ عَلِيْمٌ ࣖ
Lil-fuqarā'il-lażīna uḥṣirū fī sabīlillāhi lā yastaṭī‘ūna ḍarban fil-arḍi yaḥsabuhumul-jāhilu agniyā'a minat-ta‘affuf(i), ta‘rifuhum bisīmāhum, lā yas'alūnan-nāsa ilḥāfā(n), wa mā tunfiqū min khairin fa innallāha bihī ‘alīm(un).
[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.
Giving Charity to PolytheistsAbu `Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that they, "Disliked giving charity to their polytheist relatives, but were later on allowed to give it to them when they inquired about this matter, and this Ayah was revealed,لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلاًّنفُسِكُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلاَّ ابْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تُظْلَمُونَ(Not upon you (Muhammad ) is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills. And whatever you spend in good, it is for yourselves, when you spend not except seeking Allah's Face. And whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.)Allah's statement,وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلاًّنفُسِكُمْ(And whatever you spend in good, it is for yourselves) is similar to His other statement,مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلِنَفْسِهِ(Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for (the benefit of) his ownself.)There are many other similar Ayat in the Qur'an.Allah said next,وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلاَّ ابْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ(When you spend not except seeking Allah's Face. )Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented, "Whenever the believer spends, including what he spends on himself, he seeks Allah's Face with it." `Ata' Al-Khurasani said that the Ayah means, "You give away charity for…