ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُم بِٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Those who spend their wealth by night and day, by stealth and openly, verily their reward is with their Lord, and their shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.” — M. M. Pickthall
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Zemahşerî, the expression 'secretly and openly' points to the fact that voluntary charities should be given secretly, while obligatory alms (zakat) should be given openly to dispel the suspicion of showing off (riyakârlık). Voluntary acts are given secretly because they are more meritorious in secrecy, while obligatory acts must be performed openly because their open performance is necessary.
يتناول النوافل ، لأنها في السر أفضل والفرائض ، لوجوب المجاهرة بها نفيا للتهمة
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
Râzî explains this expression according to three different grammatical interpretations: as a circumstantial object (meaning those who conceal and those who reveal), as an adverbial phrase (time of secrecy and openness), or as an infinitive (secret spending and open spending). According to this last interpretation, secret spending refers to voluntary charity, while open spending refers to obligatory zakat. He also notes that the verse encourages spending in whatever way is possible; if secrecy is possible, it should be done secretly, otherwise openly, and the concern about being accused of showing off should not cause one to abandon charitable acts.
وجوه : أحدها : أن يكون على الحال أي ذوي سر وعلانية بمعنى مسرين ومعلنين . وثانيها : على الظرف أي وقت سر وعلانية . وثالثها : على المصدر أي انفاق سر وانفاق علانية والمراد إخفاء التطوع وإعلان الواجب
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Ibn Kesîr, this verse praises those who spend in Allah's way and to gain His pleasure at all times and in all circumstances—night and day, secretly and openly. This praise also includes expenditures made for one's family; the hadith that the Prophet spoke to Sa'd ibn Abî Waqqâs and the hadith of Abû Mas'ud support this expanded scope. Furthermore, it is narrated from Ibn Abbas that these are those who provide fodder for their horses in Allah's way, and in another narration it is reported that the verse was revealed concerning Ali.
هذا مدح منه تعالى للمنفقين في سبيله وابتغاء مرضاته في جميع الأوقات من ليل أو نهار والأحوال من سروجها حتى ان النفقة على الأهل تدخل في ذلك أيضا
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, the phrase in the verse 'those who spend night and day, secretly and openly' refers to filling all times and circumstances with good deeds. It is narrated that this verse was revealed concerning Abû Bakr, who distributed forty thousand dinars ten by ten, night and day, secretly and openly; it is also reported that the verse was revealed concerning Ali, who had only four dirhams and distributed them one by one in the same manner. According to another view, the verse concerns maintaining horses in Allah's way and spending them in this path.
نزلت في أبي بكر الصديق رضي الله تعالى عنه، تصدق بأربعين ألف دينار عشرة بالليل وعشرة بالنهار، وعشرة بالسر وعشرة بالعلانية
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
This text passage conveys a narration from Abû ad-Dardâ'; Abû ad-Dardâ speaks about saddled horses (of the type called bardin and hecin) and comments on who their owners are. Since the text is incomplete, the full content of the narration and which verse it is related to have not been completed in this passage.
أن أبا الدرداء، كان ينظر إلى الخيل مربوطة بين
Comparison
Common ground
Zemahşerî, Râzî, Ibn Kesîr, and Beydâvî agree that the phrase 'secret and open spending' in the verse encourages continuous good deeds at all times and in all circumstances. Zemahşerî and Râzî also share the interpretation that secret spending may refer to voluntary charity, while open spending may refer to obligatory zakat, which dispels the suspicion of showing off.
Differences
While Zemahşerî and Râzî approach the matter primarily through linguistic and grammatical analysis (i'rab) and discuss the possibilities of circumstantial objects, adverbials, and infinitives, Ibn Kesîr and Beydâvî place greater emphasis on narrations and occasions of revelation (nuzûl sebebi narratives concerning Ali, Abû Bakr, and those who maintain horses). The passage transmitted by Taberî is a direct narration of reports and does not present a complete commentary; this exemplifies his work's more direct function of collecting narration material. This difference reflects the methodological distinction between the linguistic/rhetorical school of exegesis and the narration/hadith-oriented school of exegesis.
Historical context
While narration transmission was at the forefront in early-period exegetes like Taberî, systematic language and grammatical analysis became more developed in later exegetes like Zemahşerî and Râzî; Ibn Kesîr and Beydâvî combined both methods, presenting both narrations and linguistic elements together. The core emphasis in the verse on 'performing good deeds continuously and sincerely' remained constant throughout all periods.
Modern connection
This comparative reading reminds us that charity and mutual aid can be performed both sincerely and, when necessary, openly, with what matters being intention and continuity. In our time, this can be understood as keeping alive the spirit of social solidarity and mutual aid, and not abandoning good deeds out of concern about showing off. The consideration of expenditures made for family members within this scope points to the fact that worship and virtuous conduct can be spread across all areas of daily life.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar