Translation:
Whatever charity you give or whatever oath (vow) you take, God surely knows about it. The wrongdoers will have no helpers (in the long run). If you show your charity (without arrogance or evil intent), then how excellent it is! If you hide it and give it to the poor, it is good for you. Charity does wash away some of your evil deeds. God is aware of what you do.148
It is not your (i.e., Prophet’s) responsibility to guide people, but God guides whom He pleases (according to their efforts and desires). Whatever good things you spend (for others) are for your own good, and you should spend only to seek God’s grace (not for other motives). (God promises that) whatever good things you spend, it will be paid back to you in full, and no wrong will be done to you (as a result of your spending in charity).149
Interpretation:
148 The goodness of charity and alms giving is significant in society, especially in Muslim societies and countries where poverty is ever present and the gap between the poor and the rich is ever escalating. Charity can be given openly and in secret. Each method has its own merits if done properly with humility and good intentions. The constant reminder that God is always aware of what we do and how we do it and that nothing escapes His judgment is important to be mindful of and should encourage us to give charity as a means to help the poor, elevate the human condition, and compensate for our evil deeds.
Charity done openly and charity done secretly both imply two different things: (1) Public (open) charity, which relates to institutional management to serve larger needs in the society and public infrastructure development to improve overall economic conditions, should be done openly to encourage many participants, and (2) Charity done in secret relates to the personal level of charity that is intended to benefit one or more people and should be done at a personal or neighborhood level so that the recipients can be identified directly. However, it is better that such transactions be done in secret to protect the honor and dignity of the recipients. By saying how excellent it is that one gives public charity, God, in effect, is elevating public charity over private charity since public charity has more enduring benefits and can be applied to a larger number of people.
149 God promises to reward good spending in full measure, and we see it in this life and hope to see it in the Hereafter based on God’s commitment to His creatures. Even good actions can have bad implications if they are not done right, and one has to be extra careful to ensure that good acts are done with good intentions to preserve the benefits to themselves and to the recipients. As one of the Prophet’s sayings goes,
“Every action will be judged by its intent.”
Reflection:
The importance of charity continues to be discussed in these verses. So many verses have been dedicated to the various aspects of charity that it seems its importance in society and for our collective well-being cannot be overemphasized.
Action:
Each Muslim should have a serious agenda at a personal level and at a communal level to offer charity and to create and support charitable organizations. This has been a long tradition of Muslims, but it is not being followed much today, a trend that needs to be reversed. Also, the scope and priority of charity needs to broaden to increase focus on public education, skill building for economic independence, and protection of people’s rights to express and make informed choices. As the Prophet of Islam said, “Even a smile to please others is an act of charity.” Charity should take on a wide range of activities, such as feeding the hungry and building financial and social infrastructures that ensure that every person, whether poor or rich, old or young, can have a secure social and financial network for their livelihood, health, and safety. A successful society has to develop an environment where each and every member can reach their full potential, irrespective of their social standings or limitations.