Quran Universe
9:76

فَلَمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُم مِّن فَضۡلِهِۦ بَخِلُواْ بِهِۦ وَتَوَلَّواْ وَّهُم مُّعۡرِضُونَ

Falamma atahum min fadlihi bakhiloo bihi watawallaw wahum muAAridoona

But when he gave them from His bounty, they were stingy with it and turned away while they refused.

Word by word
  1. فَلَمَّآBut when
  2. ءَاتَىٰهُمHe gave them
  3. مِّنof
  4. فَضۡلِهِۦHis Bounty
  5. بَخِلُواْthey became stingy
  6. بِهِۦwith it
  7. وَتَوَلَّواْand turned away
  8. وَّهُمwhile they
  9. مُّعۡرِضُونَ(were) averse
At-Tawbah · 9:76Madinah

The money came, and the promise went.

When bounty arrives, stinginess shows

What happened next
bounty giventhe prayer was answered
then
stinginessheld on tight
turning awayas if never promised
What wealth revealed
money changed meI used to be generous
money revealed methe promise was never real

This continues the story from the verse before. Ibn Kathir notes that when Allah gave them of His bounty, they did not fulfill their vows or say the truth with their words. They turned away, averse, as if the promise had never been made.

Payday arrives and the charity link you saved last month sits unopened. The raise you prayed for comes, and somehow the bills grow to match. Nothing dramatic. Just a slow turning away from what you said you would do.

I meant my promise; things just got more expensive.

What I do when the blessing arrives shows what my promise really was.

Try this

Recall one promise you made to Allah when you were in need. Keep a piece of it today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 9:75)

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.