002:262

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                               002:262

مَثَلُ الَّذِيۡنَ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَ اَمۡوَالَهُمۡ فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ اَنۡۢبَتَتۡ سَبۡعَ سَنَابِلَ فِىۡ كُلِّ سُنۡۢبُلَةٍ مِّائَةُ حَبَّةٍ‌ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يُضٰعِفُ لِمَنۡ يَّشَآءُ‌ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيۡمٌؕ‏

Ma-tha-lool-la-zee-na-yoon-fay-qoo-na-um-waa-la-hoom                                                          Fee-sa-bee-lil-laa-hay-ka-ma-tha-lay-hub-ba-tin                                                                          Ba-tut-sub-aa-sa-naa-bay-la                                                                                                           Fee-kool-lay-soom-bo-la-tin-may-aa-ta-hub-ba-tin.                                                                     Wul-laa-ho-yo-dzaa-aiy-fo-lay-mun-ya-shaa-o                                                                         Wul-laa-ho-waa-say-oon-alee-m.

The example of those who spend their assets                                                                    For the cause of Allah (is) like the example of a grain                                                    That grew seven ears (of barley, corn, rice, wheat, etc)                                               In each ear a hundred grain(s).                                                                                             And by God Allah multiplies His blessings for anyone He wills.                                And by God Allah is All-Embracing and All-Knowing.  

• مَثَلُ — Ma-tha-lo(ol) — Example (= Alike; duplicate; identical; illustration. Comparable in case, kind, likeness, looks, quality, recital, similarity; similitude. Of comparable, kind, quality shape or type.  A/t/a Attribute)
• ٱلَّذِينَ — La-zee-na — Those who (= pl., m, 3^rd person. All those articles, things or persons)
• يُنفِقُونَ — Yoon-fay-qoo-na — They spend (= v., pres., pl., 3^rd person. Contribute, donate, expend, give, invest, lay out, put or use. The Holy Qor-aan has used this word for any or all above acts done for any charity, good cause, noble purpose or poor person)
• اَمۡوَالَ — Um-waa-la — Assets   **    (= n., pl., Resources and valuables.  See below the Note 002:262)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Their (= pro., pl., m., 3^rd person. Refers to aforesaid donors)
• فِىۡ  — Fee — In (= In; concerning; regarding; in reference; relative to. Also, amidst, during or inside a time, place or event)
• سَبِيۡلِ — Sa-bee-l … (il) — Cause (= n., s., Action; alternative; cause, course; escape; line;  means; measure; method; path; pretext; remedy; road; way. See Note 004:089   & Phrase fee-sa-be-lil-laa-hay)
• اللّٰهِ‌ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• كَ — Ka — Like (= Identical to; resembling; similar to)
• مَثَلِ — Ma-tha-lay — Example (= Copy; duplicate; illustration; likeness. See مَثَلُ above)
•  حَبَّةٍ — Hub-ba-tin — A grain (= n., s., The seed from which sprouts the plant for crops  like barley, corn or kernel, lentils, rice, wheat, etc.)
• اَنۡۢبَتَتۡ — (In) ba-tut — Grew (= v., Bore; brought forth; developed; generated; multiplied; prospered)
• سَبۡعَ — Sub-aa — Seven (= Cardinal number equal to the sum of 6 + 1)
• سَنَابِلَ — Sa-naa-bay-la — Ears (= n., pl., The grain-bearing and seed-bearing part at the top of the stalk of a cereal plant such as barley, corn, rice, wheat, etc.)
• فِىۡ  — Fee  — In (= Inside a duration, time, period, thing or place.  Also, concerning; in reference; regarding; relative to)
• كُلِّ — Kool-lay — Each (= All; entirely; every; totally; wholly)
• سُنۡۢبُلَةٍ — So0n-ba-la-tin — Ear (= n., s., The grain-bearing and seed-bearing part at the top of the stalk of a cereal plant such as barley, corn, rice, wheat, etc.)
• مِائَةَ — Me-aa-ta — A hundred (= Cardinal number equal to the sum of 99 + 1)
• حَبَّةٍ — Hub-ba-tin — A grain (= n., s., The seed from which sprouts the plant for crops  like barley, corn or kernel, lentils, rice, wheat, etc.)
• وَ — Wa (..ul) — And (= This وَ  vaao is tantamount to taking oath; solemn declaration or calling as a witness. Normally a Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; also; and;  but; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• يُضٰعِفُ — Yo-dzaa-aiy-fo — Multiplies (= v., pres., Adds further increases; increases manifold; grows; gives abundance and increases)
• لِ — Lay — For (= For the benefit, person or reason of)
• مَنۡ — Mun…(ya) — Anyone (= Who; whoever; whomever; whomsoever)
• يَّشَآءُ — Ya-shaa-o — He wills (= Chooses, decides, decrees, desires, destines, dictates, mandates, likes, orders, pleases, prefers, rules, selects, wants or wishes)

   {The next 4 words are identical to those in 002:269}

• وَ — Wa…(ul) — And (= This وَ  vaao is tantamount to taking oath; solemn declaration or calling as a witness. Normally a Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; also; and; but; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• وَاسِعٌ — Waa-say-oon — All-Embracing (= superlative form indicates the biggest, the greatest and the highest highlighting that none more than Him is Generous and Enormous Whose Wide Watch extends everywhere. All-Pervading. Amply giving. Infinitely Bountiful. Munificent. Lord of vast bounty. Vastly Sufficient. Omnipresent. Who fills needs of all His creatures. Persistently plentiful in Abundance  Unimaginably Expansive)
• عَلِيۡمٌ — Aleem — All-Knowing (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most, and highlights that none more than Him knows, is knowing. Informed to the maximum. Has total and perfect knowledge. Has nothing out of sight. Knows all.  Nothing whatever is beyond or out of His knowing. Well-Acquainted. Well-Aware. Most Knowledgeable)

** Note 002:262. The following facts must be kept in mind for a better understanding of the concept surrounding the word  اَمۡوَالَ (= Um-waa-la).

1. This site has translated the word اَمۡوَالَ as assets. It is a noun in the plural form even though it has been mostly translated in the singular such as affluence, cash, jewelry, land, money, property, substance and wealth. The word assets includes also businesses, gains, goods, possessions, riches, resources, time, talent, ostensible means or signs of all above, and other valuables.

2. Many translators have narrowed the scope of this word to just the cash equivalents like affluences, gains, goods, moneys, possessions, properties, riches, substance and wealth. Translating the verses 002:156 and 002:189 with those limited meanings may be alright.

3. Much wider meanings appear by seeing مَا ل as a combination of two words. The first word is  مَاۤ  which means all that, whatever or whatsoever.  The second word is  لَ  which means belonging to, for, for the benefit, purpose or reason, or owned by.  The combination of the two words as a single word would mean all and everything that a person has, owns or controls including time. talent, resources, valuables, etc.

4. The Arabic word مَا ل means lot more than mere tangibles. It includes donors’ time, talent and tasks that produce positives results in far bigger, broader and wider scale, scope and situations that improve the individual and societal lives of others. That is why the word اَمۡوَالَ as used in verses including 002:262, 002:263, 002:266, 002:275, 002:263,  002:266, 002:275, 003:187, 004:003, 004:006, 004:007, 004:011, 004:025, 030:040 is best when translated in its broader sense.