And whatever alms you give or (whatever) vow you vow...

And whatever alms you give or (whatever) vow you vow, surely Allah knows it; and the oppressors shall have no helpers (270). If you give alms openly, it is well, and if you hide it and give it to poor, it is better for you; and this will remove from you some of your sins; and Allah is aware of what you do (271).

To make them walk in the right way is not incumbent on you, but Allah guides aright whom He pleases; and whatever good thing you spend, it is to your own good, and you do not spend but to seek Allah’s pleasure; and whatever good thing you spend shall be paid back to you in full, and you shall not be wronged (272).

(Charity is) for the poor who are besieged in the way of Allah - they cannot go about in the and; the ignorant man thinks them to be rich on account of their self-control (from begging) ; thou wouldst recognize them by their countenance; they do not beg from men importunately,; and whatever good thing you spend, surely Allah knows it (273).

Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly, for them is their reward with their Lord, and they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve (274). **GENERAL COMMENT ** The context of the verses indicates that they must have been revealed all together. Their theme is spending in the way of Allah. They begin with a parable to show that charity increases in the hands of Allah, one to seven hundred or even more, by the per­mission of Allah.

Another parable shows that this increase is sure to happen; it cannot fail. They go to forbid insincerity in spend­ing, that is, spending to show others how generous one is, and give one more parable to demonstrate the futility of this, that such spending does not increase and bears no fruit. Also, they admonish the believers not to follow charity with reproach and injury, because these two evils nullify alms and make their reward forfeit.

Then they say that spending should be from their good and lawful wealth, and not from unlawful or worthless things, as it shows niggardliness and miserliness. Thereafter they prescribe who should be given charity - the poor men who are besieged in the way of Allah. Finally it again reminds them of the great reward of charity which they shall find with Allah.

In short, the verses exhort the believers to spend and explain to them the following things: First: The purpose of spending: It should be to seek the pleasure of Allah, not to show off to people.