Surah Yaseen 36:47 — Meaning, Translation & Reflection
سُورَةُ يسٓ · Meccan · Verse 47 of 83
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنُطْعِمُ مَن لَّوْ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ أَطْعَمَهُۥٓ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا فِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ
English: and when they are told, ‘Give to others out of what God has provided for you,’ the disbelievers say to the believers, ‘Why should we feed those that God could feed if He wanted? You must be deeply misguided.’
Bengali: যখন তাদেরকে বলা হয়, আল্লাহ তোমাদেরকে যা দিয়েছেন, তা থেকে ব্যয় কর। তখন কাফেররা মুমিনগণকে বলে, ইচ্ছা করলেই আল্লাহ যাকে খাওয়াতে পারতেন, আমরা তাকে কেন খাওয়াব? তোমরা তো স্পষ্ট বিভ্রান্তিতে পতিত রয়েছ।
Meaning & Reflection
'And when it is said: Spend from what Allah has provided you, the disbelievers say to the believers: Shall we feed one whom, if Allah willed, He would feed?' al-Razi and Ibn Kathir expose the manoeuvre: they wield divine decree as an *excuse* for stinginess — 'God could feed the poor Himself, so why should I?' — dressing a closed hand in the language of theology. Ask yourself: this is a trick my own heart still knows — using God's power as cover for my selfishness. 'It's their test,' 'God will provide,' 'not my responsibility.' The verse names it for what it is: piety recruited to justify withholding. Where am I quoting the divine will to excuse a generosity I simply don't want to give?
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Razi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ashur.
Reflect with the Five Lenses
Maani's framework for Tadabbur (heart-centred reflection) on Surah Yaseen 36:47:
- Wording. Look closely at the specific words and structure. Which word stands out, and why might Allah have chosen it here?
- Quranic Worlds. Place the verse in its context — what is happening around it, and what world does it open up?
- Personal Experience. Ask not just what this means, but what it means TO me and FOR me, right now in my life.
- Connections. How does this verse connect to other verses, to the Sunnah, or to themes across the Quran?
- General Lessons. What timeless lesson or action point can I carry away and live by?