Quran Universe
2:265

وَمَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَٰلَهُمُ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ وَتَثۡبِيتٗا مِّنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡ كَمَثَلِ جَنَّةِۭ بِرَبۡوَةٍ أَصَابَهَا وَابِلٞ فَـَٔاتَتۡ أُكُلَهَا ضِعۡفَيۡنِ فَإِن لَّمۡ يُصِبۡهَا وَابِلٞ فَطَلّٞۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

Wamathalu allatheena yunfiqoona amwalahumu ibtighaa mardati Allahi watathbeetan min anfusihim kamathali jannatin birabwatin asabaha wabilun faatat okulaha diAAfayni fain lam yusibha wabilun fatallun waAllahu bima taAAmaloona baseerun

And the example of those who spend their wealth seeking means to the approval of Allah and assuring [reward for] themselves is like a garden on high ground which is hit by a downpour - so it yields its fruits in double. And [even] if it is not hit by a downpour, then a drizzle [is sufficient]. And Allah, of what you do, is Seeing.

Word by word
  1. وَمَثَلُAnd (the) example
  2. ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those who
  3. يُنفِقُونَspend
  4. أَمۡوَٰلَهُمُtheir wealth
  5. ٱبۡتِغَآءَseeking
  6. مَرۡضَاتِ(the) pleasure
  7. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  8. وَتَثۡبِيتٗاand certainty
  9. مِّنۡfrom
  10. أَنفُسِهِمۡtheir (inner) souls
  11. كَمَثَلِ(is) like
  12. جَنَّةِۭa garden
  13. بِرَبۡوَةٍon a height
  14. أَصَابَهَاfell on it
  15. وَابِلٞheavy rain
  16. فَـَٔاتَتۡso it yielded
  17. أُكُلَهَاits harvest
  18. ضِعۡفَيۡنِdouble
  19. فَإِنThen if
  20. لَّمۡ(does) not
  21. يُصِبۡهَاfall (on) it
  22. وَابِلٞheavy rain
  23. فَطَلّٞۗthen a drizzle
  24. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  25. بِمَاof what
  26. تَعۡمَلُونَyou do
  27. بَصِيرٌ(is) All-Seer
Al-Baqarah · 2:265Madinah

Sincere giving is a hilltop garden. Even a drizzle makes it fruit.

The opposite of dust on a rock

The parable
a garden on high groundalways fertile
heavy rain
double fruitmore than others
or drizzle
still enoughnever barren
What makes the soil good
the size of the giftbig donations only
seeking Allah, sure of Himcertain of reward

Right after the bare rock comes the garden. Those who give seeking only Allah's pleasure, certain He will reward them, are like a garden on a height. Ibn Kathir says if heavy rain does not fall, light rain suffices: the believer's good deeds never become barren.

You only have a little to give this month, a coin in the box, a sandwich for the man at the station. With sincerity, that drizzle is enough. Allah sees what you do.

My small gifts are too little to matter.

Given sincerely, even a small gift falls on fertile ground and grows.

Try this

Give something small today and quietly say: for You, Allah.

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

And the parable of those who spend their wealth seeking Allah's pleasure while they in their own selves are sure and certain that Allah will reward them (for their spending in His cause), is that of a garden on a height; heavy rain falls on it and it doubles its yield of harvest. And if it does not receive heavy rain, light rain suffices it. And Allah is All-Seer (knows well) of what you do.) This is the example of the believers who give away charity seeking only Allah's pleasur (265)

وَتَثْبِيتًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ

(while they in their own selves are sure and certain) meaning, they are certain that Allah shall reward them for these righteous acts with the best rewards. Similarly, in a Hadith collected by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا

(Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and expectation...) meaning, believing that Allah commanded the fast, all the while awaiting His reward for fasting it.

Allah's statement,

كَمَثَلِ جَنَّةٍ بِرَبْوَةٍ

(is that of a garden on a Rabwah) means, the example of a garden on 'a height above the ground', as the majority of scholars have stated. Ibn 'Abbas and Ad-Dahhak added that it also has flowing rivers.

Allah's statement,

أَصَابَهَا وَابِلٌ

(Wabil falls on it) means, heavy rain as we stated, So it produces its,

أُكُلَهَا 

(yield of harvest) meaning, fruits or produce,

ضِعْفَيْنِ 

(doubles), as compared to other gardens.

فَإِن لَّمْ يُصِبْهَا وَابِلٌ فَطَلٌّ

(And if it does not receive Wabil, a Tall suffices it.)

Ad-Dahhak said that the 'Tall' is light rain. The Ayah indicates that the garden on the Rabwah is always fertile, for if heavy rain does not fall on it, light rain will suffice for it. Such is the case regarding the believer's good deeds, for they never become barren. Rather, Allah accepts the believer's righteous deeds and increases them, each according to his deeds. This is why Allah said next,

وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

(And Allah is All-Seer of what you do) meaning, none of His servants' deeds ever escapes His perfect watch.