Quran Universe
3:92

لَن تَنَالُواْ ٱلۡبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِن شَيۡءٖ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٞ

Lan tanaloo albirra hatta tunfiqoo mimma tuhibboona wama tunfiqoo min shayin fainna Allaha bihi AAaleemun

Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love. And whatever you spend - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.

Word by word
  1. لَنNever
  2. تَنَالُواْwill you attain
  3. ٱلۡبِرَّ[the] righteousness
  4. حَتَّىٰuntil
  5. تُنفِقُواْyou spend
  6. مِمَّاfrom what
  7. تُحِبُّونَۚyou love
  8. وَمَاAnd whatever
  9. تُنفِقُواْyou spend
  10. مِنof
  11. شَيۡءٖa thing
  12. فَإِنَّthen indeed
  13. ٱللَّهَAllah
  14. بِهِۦof it
  15. عَلِيمٞ(is) All-Knowing
Ali 'Imran · 3:92Madinah

You won't reach righteousness until you give what you love.

Giving the best, not the leftovers

Abu Talhah's garden
Bayruhahis most loved property
given for
Allah"I hope for its reward"
to
his relativeson the Prophet's advice ﷺ
What to give
what I don't needold clothes, spare change
what I loveprofitable wealth

Abu Talhah owned a garden facing the Prophet's mosque ﷺ, where the Prophet ﷺ would drink its water. Hearing this verse he gave it away. The Prophet ﷺ said that is profitable wealth and advised giving it to his relatives. Umar asked the same about his most precious land in Khaybar.

Clearing out the closet for the donation bin, you give the jacket you never wear. The one you love stays on the hanger. Righteousness lives in the second one. It is not loss. It is profit.

Giving what I don't need is still generous.

The giving that reaches righteousness is the giving that costs me something I love.

Try this

Give one thing today that you actually like, not just what you can spare.

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

By no means shall you attain Al-Birr, unless you spend of that which you love; and whatever of good you spend, Allah knows it well (92)

Al-Birr is Spending from the Best of One's Wealth

In his Tafsir, Waki' reported, that 'Amr bin Maymun said that

لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ

(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr) is in reference to attaining Paradise.

Imam Ahmad reported that Anas bin Malik said, "Abu Talhah had more property than any other among the Ansar in Al-Madinah, and the most beloved of his property to him was Bayruha' garden, which was in front of the (Messenger's) Masjid. Sometimes, Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to go to the garden and drink its fresh water." Anas added, "When these verses were revealed,

لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ

(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr unless You spend of that which you love,)

Abu Talhah said, 'O Allah's Messenger! Allah says,

لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ

(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr, unless you spend of that which you love;) No doubt, Bayruha' garden is the most beloved of all my property to me. So I want to give it in charity in Allah's cause, and I expect its reward and compensation from Allah. O Allah's Messenger! Spend it where Allah makes you think is feasible. ' On that, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,

بَخٍ بَخٍ، ذَاكَ مَالٌ رَابِحٌ، ذَاكَ مَالٌ رَابِحٌ، وَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ، وَأَنَا أَرَى أَنْ تَجْعَلَهَا فِي الْأَقْرَبِينَ

(Well-done! It is profitable property, it is profitable property. I have heard what you have said, and I think it would be proper if you gave it to your kith and kin.)

Abu Talhah said, 'I will do so, O Allah's Messenger.' Then Abu Talhah distributed that garden among his relatives and cousins."

This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs. They also recorded that 'Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah! I never gained possession of a piece of property more precious to me than my share in Khaybar. Therefore, what do you command me to do with it?" The Prophet ﷺ said,

حَبِّسِ الْأَصْلَ وَسَبِّلِ الثَّمَرَةَ

(Retain the land to give its fruits in Allah's cause.)