إِنَّ ٱلْمُصَّدِّقِينَ وَٱلْمُصَّدِّقَـٰتِ وَأَقْرَضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَـٰعَفُ لَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ 18
Translations
Indeed, the men who practice charity and the women who practice charity and [they who] have loaned Allāh a goodly loan - it will be multiplied for them, and they will have a noble reward.
Transliteration
Inna al-musaddiqīna wa-al-musaddiqāti wa-aqraḍū Allāha qarḍan ḥasanan yuḍāʿafu lahum wa-lahum ajrun karīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah praises those men and women who give in charity (sadaqah) and lend to Allah through virtuous means, promising them multiplication of their reward and an honored, generous recompense. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the phrase 'lending to Allah a goodly loan' is a metaphor for spending in Allah's cause, and the multiplication refers to the seven-fold increase mentioned in 2:261, with the potential for even greater multiplication by Allah's grace. The inclusion of both masculine and feminine forms emphasizes that this reward applies equally to both men and women who engage in these righteous acts.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Hadid (The Iron), a Medinan chapter that discusses Islamic principles of wealth, charity, and the balanced spiritual life. The surah contextually encourages believers to spend from what Allah has provided them before the Day of Judgment, and this particular ayah reinforces the virtue of voluntary giving and lending for the cause of Allah, placed within a series of ayat addressing financial responsibility.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The best charity is that given when one is in need yet gives, and the best loan is that given with no intention of taking back more than was lent.' (Related to the theme in various hadith collections). Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet said: 'Whoever gives in charity, Allah will increase his wealth.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that generosity and charitable giving are not losses but investments in the divine economy, where Allah multiplies rewards beyond measure. It inspires modern readers to view their wealth as a trust from Allah and to give willingly, knowing that such sacrifice is never wasted but generates both spiritual fulfillment and divine reward.