Quran Universe
2:215

يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَۖ قُلۡ مَآ أَنفَقۡتُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرٖ فَلِلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۗ وَمَا تَفۡعَلُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٖ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٞ

Yasaloonaka matha yunfiqoona qul ma anfaqtum min khayrin falilwalidayni waalaqrabeena waalyatama waalmasakeeni waibni alssabeeli wama tafAAaloo min khayrin fainna Allaha bihi AAaleemun

They ask you, [O Muhammad], what they should spend. Say, "Whatever you spend of good is [to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it."

Word by word
  1. يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَThey ask you
  2. مَاذَاwhat
  3. يُنفِقُونَۖthey (should) spend
  4. قُلۡSay
  5. مَآWhatever
  6. أَنفَقۡتُمyou spend
  7. مِّنۡof
  8. خَيۡرٖgood
  9. فَلِلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ(is) for parents
  10. وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَand the relatives
  11. وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰand the orphans
  12. وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِand the needy
  13. وَٱبۡنِand (of)
  14. ٱلسَّبِيلِۗthe wayfarer
  15. وَمَاAnd whatever
  16. تَفۡعَلُواْyou do
  17. مِنۡof
  18. خَيۡرٖgood
  19. فَإِنَّSo indeed
  20. ٱللَّهَAllah
  21. بِهِۦof it
  22. عَلِيمٞ(is) All-Aware
Al-Baqarah · 2:215Madinah

Your giving starts with the people closest to you.

Who comes first when you spend

The circle of giving
parentsfirst in line
relativesclosest, then farther
orphans, the needythose without support
the travelerstranded far from home
What counts
only big public donationsgiving to strangers
any good, known to Allahstarting at home

They asked the Prophet ﷺ what to spend, and the answer turned to where: parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler. A hadith in the tafsir lists your mother, father, sister, brother, then the closest and the next. Whatever good you do, Allah knows it.

You donate to an appeal online, but you have not called your mother in two weeks, and your brother is quietly struggling with rent. The groceries you drop at your parents' door count.

Real charity is giving to big causes far away.

Good starts with the people Allah put closest to me, and none of it goes unseen.

Try this

Do one practical thing for a parent or relative today: a bill, a meal, a lift.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

They ask you (O Muhammad ﷺ) what they should spend. Say: "Whatever you spend of good must be for parents and kindred and orphans and Al-Masakin (the poor) and the wayfarer, and whatever you do of good deeds, truly, Allah knows it well. (215)

Who deserves the Nafaqah (Spending or Charity)

Muqatil bin Hayyan said that this Ayah was revealed about the voluntary charity. The Ayah means, 'They ask you (O Muhammad ﷺ) how they should spend,' as Ibn 'Abbas and Mujahid have stated. So, Allah explained it for them, saying:

قُلْ مَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ

(Say: "Whatever you spend of good must be for parents and kindred and orphans and Al-Masakin and the wayfarer,") meaning, spend it on these categories or areas. Similarly, a Hadith states (that those who deserve one's generosity the most, are):

أُمَّكَ وَأَبَاكَ وَأُخْتَكَ وَأَخَاكَ ثُمَّ أَدْنَاكَ أَدْنَاكَ

(Your mother, father, sister, brother, the closest and then the farthest (relatives).)

Maymun bin Mihran once recited this Ayah (2:215) and commented, "These are the areas of spending. Allah did not mention among them the drums, pipe, wooden pictures, or the curtains that cover the walls."

Next, Allah said:

وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ

(...and whatever you do of good deeds, truly, Allah knows it well.) meaning, whatever you perform of good works, Allah knows them and He will reward you for them in the best manner, no one will be dealt with unjustly, even the weight of an atom.