9. Surah At Tawbah
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّمَا
الصَّدَقَاتُ
لِلْفُقَرَاء
وَالْمَسَاكِينِ
وَالْعَامِلِينَ
عَلَيْهَا...
9: 60. Alms are for
- the poor and the needy,
- and those employed to administer the (funds);
...وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ...
- for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to truth);
- for those in bondage and in debt;
- in the Cause of Allah;
- and for the wayfarer:
C1320. Alms or charitable gifts are to be given to the poor and the needy and those who are employed in their service. That is, charitable, funds are not to be diverted to other uses, but the genuine expenses of administering charity are properly chargeable to such funds.
Who are the needy?
Besides the ordinary indigent, there are certain classes of people whose need is great and should be relieved. Those mentioned here are:
1. men who have been weaned from hostility to Truth, who would probably be persecuted by their former associates, and require assistance until they establish new connections in their new environment:
2. those in bondage, literally and figuratively:
captives of war must be redeemed:
slaves should be helped to freedom-,
those in the bondage of ignorance or superstition or unfavorable environment should be helped to freedom to develop their own gifts:
3. those who are held in the grip of debt should be helped to economic freedom:
4. those who are struggling and striving in Allah's Cause by teaching or fighting or in duties assigned to them by the Islamic State, who are thus unable to earn their ordinary living: and
5. strangers stranded on the way.
All these have a claim to charity. They should be relieved by individual or organized effort, but in a responsible way.
In this verse, the word sadaqah refers to obligatory charity (Zakah).
See n. 1318 above. (R).
...فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٦٠﴾
(thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.
9: 60 Charity [Sadakah & Zakat] for Whom?
Asad The offerings given for the sake of God are [meant] only for the poor and the needy, and those who are in charge thereof [note 84] and those whose hearts are to be won over, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage, and [for] those who are overburdened with debts, and [for every struggle] in God’s cause, and [for] t he wayfarer: [this is] and ordinance from God – and God is all-knowing, wise [note 85]
Pickthall The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarers; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is knower, Wise.
Transliteration Innamas sadaqa_tu lil fuqara_'i wal masa_kini wal 'a_milina 'alaiha_ wal mu'allafati qulu_buhum wa fir riqa_bi wal ga_rimina wa fi sabililla_hi wabnis sabil(i), faridatam minalla_h(i), walla_hu 'alimun hakim(un).
[[ Asad’s note 85 – These eight categories circumscribe all the purpose for which Zakah funds may be expended. By “those whose hearts are to be won over” are apparently meant such non-Muslims as are close to understanding and, perhaps, accepting Islam, and for whose conversion every effort should be made, either directly or indirectly (i.e., by means of the widest possible propagation of the teachings of Islam).
As regards the expression fi’r-riqab (“for the freeing of human beings from bondage”), which relates both to the ransoming of prisoners of war and to the freeing slaves, see surah 2, note 146.
The term ‘al-gharimun’ describes people who are overburdened with debts contracted in good faith, which – through no fault of their own—they are subsequently unable to redeem.
The expression “in God’s cause” embraces every kind of struggle in righteous cause, both in war and in peace, including expenditure for the propagation of Islam and for all charitable purposes. Regarding the meaning of ‘ibn as-sabil’ (wayfarer”), see surah 2, note 145.]]
[[ Ali’s notes -
1320 Alms or charitable gifts are to be given to the poor and the needy and those who are employed in their service. That is, charitable funds are not to be diverted to other uses, but the genuine expenses of administering charity are properly chargeable to such funds. Who are the needy? Besides the ordinary indigent, there are certain classes of people whose need is great and should be relieved. Those mentioned here are: (1) men who have been weaned from hostility to Truth, who would probably be persecuted by their former associates, and require assistance until they establish new connections in their new environment: (2) those in bondage, literally and figuratively: captives of war must be redeemed: slaves should be helped to freedom-, those in the bondage of ignorance or superstition or unfavorable environment should be helped to freedom to develop their own gifts: (3) those who are held in the grip of debt should be helped to economic freedom: (4) those who are struggling and striving in Allah's Cause by teaching or fighting or in duties assigned to them by the Islamic State, who are thus unable to earn their ordinary living: and (5) strangers stranded on the way. All these have a claim to charity. They should be relieved by individual or organized effort, but in a responsible way. In this verse, the word sadaqat refers to obligatory charity (zakat). See n. 1318 above. (9.60)