002:216

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                   002:216

يَسۡـــَٔلُوۡنَكَ مَاذَا يُنۡفِقُوۡنَ ؕ قُلۡ مَآ اَنۡفَقۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ خَيۡرٍ فَلِلۡوَالِدَيۡنِ وَالۡاَقۡرَبِيۡنَ وَالۡيَتٰمٰى وَالۡمَسٰكِيۡنِ وَابۡنِ السَّبِيۡلِ‌ؕ وَمَا تَفۡعَلُوۡا مِنۡ خَيۡرٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِهٖ عَلِيۡمٌ

Yus-aloo-na-ka-maa-zaa-yoon-fay-qoo-n                                                                                     Qool-maa-un-fuq-toom-min-khai-rin-fa-lil                                                                                    Waa-lay-dai-nay-wul-uq-ra-bee-na-wul                                                                                      Ya-taa-maa-wul-ma-saa-kee-nay-wub-nis-sa-bee-l.                                                                  Wa-maa-tuf-aa-lo-na-min-kha-rin                                                                                                  Fa-in-nul-laa-ha-bay-he-alee-m

They ask you of what assets they spend.                                                                             Say whatever of good things you spend are for                                                             The parents and the near kindred and                                                                              The orphans and the poor and the wayfarer.                                                                 And whatever of good things you do                                                                              Allah then is surely well-aware of it

• يَسۡـَٔلُونَ — Yus-aloo-na — The ask (= v., pres. pl., 3^rd person. Ask; beg; demand; inquire; interrogate; question; request; seek info)
• كَ — Ka — You (= pro., s., m., 2^nd person. You single male.  The addressee of this divine message is initially the Holy Prophet s.a.w and secondarily every Moslem, in fact every human being.   See the Note under 002:005)
• مَا — Maa — What (= All that; whatever; whatsoever. any time; when)
• ذَا — Zaa — Of assets (= Controlled things; ownership; possessions)
• يُنفِقُونَ — Yoon-fay-qoon — They spend (= v., Contribute; donate; give in charity. Expend, lay, put or use for noble purposes.  Help those in need.  Invest in good causes.  Practice giving alms.  Spend their belongings, substance and wealth in the causes of Allah)
• قُلۡ — Qool — Say / Tell (= v., pr., s, male, 2^nd person. Announce assert; convey; broadcast; call out; declare; inform; speak; specify; state More meanings at ‘You Say’ means …)
• مَا — Maa — Whatever (= All that; what; whatsoever; any time; whenever)
• اَنۡفَقۡ — Un-fuq — You spend (= v., Contribute; donate; give in charity. Expend, lay, put or use for noble purposes. Help those in need. Invest in good causes.  Practice giving alms)
• تُمۡ — Toom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person.  You.  The Holy Qor-aan states  this way when addressing both men and women jointly)
• مِّنۡ — Min — From / of (= Among, from or out of the class, category, count, kind of several articles, things, persons or phenomenon
• خَيۡرٍ — Khai-rin — Good things (= Abundant wealth; appreciable, happy or pleasant acts, deeds, things, persons or occasions.   2. Comparatively  superior; of greater, higher or more value; more pure. Belongings. Substance. Wealth)
• فَ — Fa —  So (= After all this; at the end; consequently; hence; then; thereafter; therefore; thus)
• لِ — L…(il) — To ( = For the benefit or purpose of; with intent to or object of; directed towards.  Also, extrapolated to mean “Must go” [M Pickthall])
• الۡوَالِدَيۡنِ   — Waa-lay-dai-nay — Parents (= Mother and father how high-so-ever)
• وَ — Wa…(ul) — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• الۡاَقۡرَبِيۡنَ — Uq-ra-bee-na —  Near kindred   (= Kinsfolk; close relatives not as well off as the addressee)
• وَ —  Wa…(ul) — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses.   See وَ  above)
• الۡيَتٰمٰى — Ya-ta-maa — The orphans (= pl., Kids with no parent; Children without one or both parents. Generally refers to the helpless or destitute)
• وَ — Wa…(ul) — And  (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• الۡمَسٰکِيۡنِ —  Ma-saa-kee-nay — The poor (= n., s., Abjectly poor; destitute; homeless; hungry with no food to eat; one of the have-nots; needy; unable to fend for themselves. ‘Those in want’ is not appropriate as everyone is always ‘in want’, but ‘those ‘in need’ is more appropriate)
• وَ  — Wa…(ub) — And (= Conj., Links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• ابۡنِ — Ub-n…(is) — Son of (= s., Combined with the word that follows, it means a wayfarer; on a journey; traveler)
• السَّبِيۡلِ — Sa-bee-lay — Road (= n., Highway, passage, path, road, route or way)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; thou
• مَاۤ — Maa  –Whatever (= 1. All that; what; whatsoever.  2. Any time; at such time; when; whenever)
• تَفۡعَلُوۡا — Tuf-a-loo — You do (= Able to do; act; deliver; perform)
• مِنۡ — Min — From (= Among, from or out of the class, category, count, kind or several persons or things)
• خَيۡرٍ —  Khai-rin — Good (= Appreciable, happy or pleasant acts, deeds, things or occasions; comparatively superior; of greater, higher or more value; at apex; best; noblest; on top)
• فَ — Fa — Then (= Consequently; as a result; so; thereafter; therefore; yet; after all this; at the end of; in conclusion)
• اِنَّ — In-na…(ul) — Surely (= Absolutely; certainly; definitely; doubtlessly; earnestly indeed; positively; really; seriously; truly; verily)
• ٱللَّهَ — Laa-ha — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• بِ — Bay — With (= The Arabic word  بِ  literally means ‘with’ in English
• هٖ  — He — That (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. It; refers to the aforesaid shown, specified or stated article, thing or person)
• عَلِيۡمٌ — A-lee-m — Well-aware (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most and highlights that none more than Him has more Knowledge. Most Knowing; One with wholesome, all, total and perfect knowledge with nothing beyond or out of His sight; Well-acquainted; Well-informed)

Reproduced below is Note 002:178

*Note 002:178.   The divine mandate is to take care of some under-privileged segments of the society.   The fortunate who have utilized time, money and energy to produce results are told to spread the word.  Some have-nots ذَوِى الۡقُرۡبٰى وَالۡيَتٰمٰى وَالۡمَسٰكِيۡنَ وَابۡنَ السَّبِيۡل  have been made the responsibility of those who have been blessed with aforesaid means.   The rich are mandated to share some of their blessings with the less fortunate.   In its verses including the following the Holy Qor-aan has named four such ways of sharing, i.e., Causes of God, Qur-zay-Husna, Suq-qa or Zakaat.

002:084 enumerates them as a part of the Covenant assigned to the Children of Israel.

002:178 counts them as the virtues that man must practice even thousands years later.

002:216 states them as the duties of all men who are the residents of one human village.

Chapter 092 lays out a plan for economic success all can climb – as a ladder, step by step.

Individually each above-mentioned act produces a lot of good.    Collectively they all are destined to uplift the whole society.    Islaam is the one-word that reflects all these virtues of Humanism.