Quran Universe
17:100

قُل لَّوۡ أَنتُمۡ تَمۡلِكُونَ خَزَآئِنَ رَحۡمَةِ رَبِّيٓ إِذٗا لَّأَمۡسَكۡتُمۡ خَشۡيَةَ ٱلۡإِنفَاقِۚ وَكَانَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ قَتُورٗا

Qul law antum tamlikoona khazaina rahmati rabbee ithan laamsaktum khashyata alinfaqi wakana alinsanu qatooran

Say [to them], "If you possessed the depositories of the mercy of my Lord, then you would withhold out of fear of spending." And ever has man been stingy.

Word by word
  1. قُلSay
  2. لَّوۡIf
  3. أَنتُمۡyou
  4. تَمۡلِكُونَpossess
  5. خَزَآئِنَthe treasures
  6. رَحۡمَةِ(of) the Mercy
  7. رَبِّيٓ(of) my Lord
  8. إِذٗاthen
  9. لَّأَمۡسَكۡتُمۡsurely you would withhold
  10. خَشۡيَةَ(out of) fear
  11. ٱلۡإِنفَاقِۚ(of) spending
  12. وَكَانَAnd is
  13. ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُman
  14. قَتُورٗاstingy
Al-Isra · 17:100Makkah

Even holding His treasuries, you would still hold back.

Stinginess is a human default

If you held them
His mercy's treasuriesendless
in your hands
you would gripfear of running out
Whose hand is full
my supplyit might run out
Allah's handnever decreases

Ibn 'Abbas and Qatadah said this means holding back for fear of poverty, even though His treasures can never run out. Ibn Kathir notes it is the human default, except for those Allah guides. He cites the Prophet ﷺ: Allah's hand is full and never decreases from giving night and day.

Even with a decent salary, you hesitate over the donation box. A bonus comes, and somehow you still feel short. It is not your bank balance. It is your nature. Remember whose hand is truly full.

I would give more if I just had more.

Stinginess is in me whatever I have, and Allah's giving teaches me to let go.

Try this

Give something today slightly more than feels comfortable, and notice that you are fine.

Related4:5370:19
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Say: "If you possessed the treasure of the mercy of my Lord, then you would surely hold back for fear of spending, and man is ever miserly! (100)

Holding back is Part of Man's Nature

Allah says to His Messenger ﷺ: "Tell them, O Muhammad, even if you had authority over the treasures of Allah, you would refrain from spending for fear of exhausting it." Ibn 'Abbas and Qatadah said, "This means for fear of poverty," lest it run out, despite the fact that it can never be exhausted or come to an end. This is because it is part of your nature. So Allah says:

وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ قَتُورًا

(and man is ever miserly.) Ibn 'Abbas and Qatadah said: "(This means) stingy and holding back." Allah says:

أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ فَإِذًا لَّا يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيرًا

(Or have they a share in the dominion? Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqira.)(4:53), meaning that even if they had a share in the authority of Allah, they would not have given anything to anyone, not even the amount of a Naqira (speck on the back of a date stone). Allah describes man as he really is, except for those whom Allah helps and guides. Miserliness, discontent and impatience are human characteristics, as Allah says:

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا - إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا - وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا - إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ

(Verily, man was created very impatient; irritable when evil touches him; and stingy when good touches him. Except those who are devoted to Salah (prayers).)(70:19-22).

And there are many other such references in the Qur'an. This is an indication of the generosity and kindness of Allah. In the Two Sahihs it says:

يَدُ اللهِ مَلْأَى لَا يَغِيضُهَا نَفَقَةٌ سَحَّاءُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ، أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْفَقَ مُنْذُ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَغِضْ مَا فِي يَمِينِهِ

(Allah's Hand is full and never decreases because of His giving night and day. Do you not see how much He has given since He created the heavens and the earth, yet that which is in His right hand never decreases.)