Quran Universe
9:75

۞وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ عَٰهَدَ ٱللَّهَ لَئِنۡ ءَاتَىٰنَا مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

Waminhum man AAahada Allaha lain atana min fadlihi lanassaddaqanna walanakoonanna mina alssaliheena

And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah, [saying], "If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and we will surely be among the righteous."

Word by word
  1. ۞وَمِنۡهُمAnd among them
  2. مَّنۡ(is he) who
  3. عَٰهَدَmade a covenant
  4. ٱللَّهَ(with) Allah
  5. لَئِنۡIf
  6. ءَاتَىٰنَاHe gives us
  7. مِنof
  8. فَضۡلِهِۦHis bounty
  9. لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّsurely we will give charity
  10. وَلَنَكُونَنَّand surely we will be
  11. مِنَamong
  12. ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَthe righteous
At-Tawbah · 9:75Madinah

If He gives me more, I will give.

The promise made while waiting for wealth

The deal they proposed
if He givesfrom His bounty
then I will
give charityfor sure
be righteousfor sure
Where the promise sits
later, when richthe conditional me
now, with what I haveAllah knows the secret

Ibn Kathir says some hypocrites gave Allah their strongest oaths that if He enriched them, they would give alms and be among the righteous. He adds that Allah knows the secret and what is more hidden, even the pretended intention to give.

When the promotion comes, I will start giving monthly. When the business takes off, I will help my parents properly. The future version of you is always generous. The verse looks at the present version.

I will be generous once I can afford it.

The giver I promise to become later is shaped by what I give now.

Try this

Give a small amount today, sized to what you have now, not what you hope for.

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

And of them are some who made a covenant with Allah (saying): "If He bestowed on us of His bounty, we will verily, give Sadaqah and will be certainly among the righteous. (75)Then when He gave them of His bounty, they became stingy, and turned away, averse (76)So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant) with Allah which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies (77)Know they not that Allah knows their secret ideas, and their Najwa (secret counsels), and that Allah is the All-Knower of things unseen (78)

Hypocrites seek Wealth but are Stingy with Alms

Allah says, some hypocrites give Allah their strongest oaths that if He enriches them from His bounty, they will give away alms and be among the righteous. However, they did not fulfill their vows or say the truth with their words. The consequence of this action is that hypocrisy was placed in their hearts until the Day they meet Allah the Exalted, on the Day of Resurrection. We seek refuge with Allah from such an end. Allah said,

بِمَا أَخْلَفُوا اللَّهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ

(...because they broke that (covenant) with Allah which they had promised to Him) He placed hypocrisy in their hearts because they broke their promise and lied. In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

آيَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ ثَلَاثٌ: إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ، وَإِذَا ائْتُمِنَ خَانَ

(There are three signs for a hypocrite: if he speaks, he lies; if he promises, he breaks the promise; and if he is entrusted, he betrays the trust.) Allah said,

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّهُمْ وَنَجْوَاهُمْ

(Know they not that Allah knows their secret ideas, and their Najwa,)

Allah states that He knows the secret and what is more hidden than the secret. He has full knowledge of what is in their hearts, even when they pretend that they will give away alms, if they acquire wealth, and will be grateful to Allah for it. Truly, Allah knows them better than they know themselves, for He is the All-Knower of all unseen and apparent things, every secret, every session of counsel, and all that is seen and hidden.