Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

If you reveal charity, excellent is it; but if you hide it, and give it to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your evil deeds; and God is aware of what you do.

اِنْ تُبْدُوا الصَّدَقَاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَۚ وَاِنْ تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَـرَٓاءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْۜ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنْكُمْ مِنْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْۜ وَاللّٰهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَب۪يرٌ
In tubdoo assadaqatifaniAAimma hiya wa-in tukhfooha watu/toohaalfuqaraa fahuwa khayrun lakum wayukaffiru AAankum minsayyi-atikum wallahu bimataAAmaloona khabeer
#wordmeaningroot
1inIf
2tub'dūyou discloseبدو
3l-ṣadaqātithe charitiesصدق
4faniʿimmāthen goodنعم
5hiyait (is)
6wa-inBut if
7tukh'fūhāyou keep it secretخفي
8watu'tūhāand give itاتي
9l-fuqarāa(to) the poorفقر
10fahuwathen it
11khayrun(is) betterخير
12lakumfor you
13wayukaffiruAnd He will removeكفر
14ʿankumfrom you
15min[of]
16sayyiātikumyour evil deedsسوا
17wal-lahuAnd Allah
18bimāwith what
19taʿmalūnayou doعمل
20khabīrun(is) All-Awareخبر
  • Aisha Bewley

    If you make your sadaqa public, that is good. But if you conceal it and give it to the poor, that is better for you, and We will erase some of your bad actions from you. Allah is aware of what you do.

  • Progressive Muslims

    If you openly give charity, then it is acceptable; but if you conceal it and give it to the poor, then that is better for you. And He cancels some of your sins; and God is Expert to all that you do.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    If you disclose your charities, it is well, but if you give in secret to the needy, it will be better for you. This kind of giving has the power of erasing the imprints of your ill deeds on your "Self". This Law has been decreed by Allah Who knows the interrelations of all your actions within and without your personality.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    If you reveal charity, excellent is it; but if you hide it, and give it to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your evil deeds; and God is aware of what you do.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    If you openly give charities, then it is acceptable; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, then that is better for you. And He cancels some of your sins; and God is Expert to all that you do.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    If you declare your charity, then it is acceptable; but if you conceal it and give it to the poor, then that is better for you. It reduces some of your sins; and God is Ever-aware of all that you do.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    If you declare your charities, they are still good. But if you keep them anonymous, and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and remits more of your sins. GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    If you give alms openly, it is well; but if you do it secretly and give to the poor, that is better. This will absolve you of some of your sins; and God is cognisant of all you do.

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds . And Allah, with what you do, is Acquainted.

  • Muhammad Asad

    If you do deeds of charity openly, it is well; but if you bestow it upon the needy in secret, it will be even better for you, and it will atone for some of your bad deeds. And God is aware of all that you do.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    If ye publish your almsgiving, it is well, but if ye hide it and give it to the poor, it will be better for you, and will atone for some of your ill-deeds. Allah is Informed of what ye do.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    If you dispense your charity publicly, it is well; but if you conceal it and pay it to the needy in secret, it will be even better for you. This will atone for several of your misdeeds. Allah is well aware of all that you do.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    If you perform benevolent acts openly with good will and a clean heart, it is meritorious. But if you conceal your charitable acts when you offer in benevolence to the needy, it is better for you; such acts expiate some of your wrongs by benefits, and Allah is 'Alimun of All that you do.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    It is O. K. to spend openly on charity; however, it will be much better to help the needy people as an unknown person as it will washes more of your sins. God knows well what you are doing.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    If you disclose your Sadaqât (alms-giving), it is well; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, that is better for you. (Allâh) will expiate you some of your sins. And Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    If ye disclose (acts of) charity, even so it is well, but if ye conceal them, and make them reach those (really) in need, that is best for you: It will remove from you some of your (stains of) evil. And Allah is well acquainted with what ye do.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    To give charity publicly is good, but to give to the poor privately is better for you, and will absolve you of your sins. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

  • Taqi Usmani

    If you make Sadaqāt (alms) openly, it is good enough, and if you keep it secret and give it to the needy, it is much better for you, and this will write off part of your sins. Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

  • Abdul Haleem

    If you give charity openly, it is good, but if you keep it secret and give to the needy in private, that is better for you, and it will atone for some of your bad deeds: God is well aware of all that you do.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    If you publish your freewill offerings, it is excellent; but if you conceal them, and give them to the poor, that is better for you, and will acquit you of your evil deeds; God is aware of the things you do.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    If ye display your almsgiving, then well is it; but if ye hide it and bring it to the poor, then is it better for you, and will expiate for you your evil deeds; for God of what ye do is well aware.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    If you display your almsgiving, then it is well; but if you hide it and bring it to the poor, then is it better for you, and will atone for you some of your evil deeds; for Allah is Informed of what you do.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    In case you display (your) donations, then how favored (you are) by them, and in case you conceal them and bring them to the poor, then it is more charitable for you; and He will expiate for you (some) of your odious (deeds); and Allah is Ever-Cognizant of whatever you do.

  • George Sale

    If ye make your alms to appear, it is well; but if ye conceal them, and give them unto the poor, this will be better for you, and will atone for your sins: And God is well informed of that which ye do.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    You may mention the (acts of) charity, however, it is better, if you do not talk about them, and make them reach those (who are really) in need: That is best for you; It will remove from you some of your (stains of) evil. And Allah is well Informed (Khabeer) of what you do.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    If you give (your) alms openly it is well and good (in itself). But if you keep them secret and give them to the needy it is better for your ownselves and He will (thereby) acquit you of some of your evil deeds. Allah is fully aware of what you do.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    If you disclose your charities, that is well, but if you hide them and give them to the poor, that is better for you, and it will atone for some of your misdeeds, and Allah is well aware of what you do.