The caption of our post may lead to some of the readers why should Allah ask loan from the believers for He is above all worldly needs and in fact it is He to blesses all means of sustenance for the entire mankind, whether they ask for it or not. So why a loan to Him. Let us understand this rather unique "demand" by Allah from Al Qur'an. The expression “a goodly loan to Allah” appears in several Qur’anic verses.
One of the clearest verse from AL Qur'an is found in the 11th verse of Surah Al-Ḥadīd, the 57th Surah/Chapter of Al Qur'an shared herein under along with its explanation by eminent Muslim scholars:
مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ وَلَهُ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ
“Who is it that will lend Allah a goodly loan, so He may multiply it for him, and he will have a noble reward?”
A similar statement appears in 2:245, while the same idea is also found in 5:12, 57:18, 64:17, and 73:20. Please refer to earlier post: Give Goodly Loan to Allah - He will increase it Several Fold for explanation of 64:17 to understand the verse being explained in this post.
What does “lending Allah” mean?
It does not mean that Allah needs money or becomes indebted to anyone. Allah is Al-Ghanī—the Self-Sufficient, while human beings are entirely dependent upon Him.
The expression is a powerful metaphor for: (1) spending sincerely for Allah’s sake; (2) helping the poor, (3) needy, or indebted; (4) supporting beneficial religious and social causes; (5) using one’s wealth, abilities, or resources in ways pleasing to Allah.
Although the money reaches another human being, Allah describes it as a loan made to Him. This gives dignity to the recipient and assures the giver that nothing spent sincerely is ever lost.
Why is it called a “loan”?
A loan normally carries the expectation that it will be returned. Allah uses this familiar human expression to give the believer absolute assurance: Whatever you give for Allah will return to you—multiplied.
The repayment may come as: (1) blessing in one’s remaining wealth; (2) protection from harm; (3) inner peace and purification; (4) reward in the Hereafter; (5) forgiveness and entrance into Paradise.
That means Allah is not borrowing from us; rather, He is honouring us by accepting His own provision back from us and promising a far greater return.
What makes it a goodly loan—قَرْضًا حَسَنًا (qardan ḥasanan)?
A charitable act becomes a “goodly loan” when it is
- Given sincerely for Allah, not for fame or praise.
- Earned lawfully, because Allah is pure and accepts what is pure.
- Given willingly, without resentment.
- Free from reminders and humiliation of the recipient.
- Directed toward a genuinely beneficial cause.
- Given from something valuable, not merely what the giver wants to discard.
Remember, loan or charity to anyone other than the intention of pleasing Allah becomes useless. That is why Al Qur’an warns: “Do not invalidate your charities with reminders of your generosity or hurtful words.” —Qur’an 2:264
Therefore, the manner of giving is as important as the amount.
Why does Allah say, “Who is it that will lend Allah?”
This is not because Allah is unaware of who will give. It is an invitation that awakens faith and generosity. It is as though Allah asks:
Who trusts My promise enough to exchange temporary wealth for permanent reward?
The rhetorical question turns charity from a loss into an investment with Allah.
Its connection with Surah Al-Ḥadīd Surah Al-Ḥadīd repeatedly teaches that worldly wealth is temporary and that human beings are only trustees of what Allah has given them. Just before verse 57:11, believers are commanded:
“Believe in Allah and His Messenger and spend from that over which He has made you trustees.” —Qur’an 57:7
The wealth was originally Allah’s. Human beings temporarily possess it. When they spend it for good, Allah nevertheless calls it a “loan” and promises to multiply it. This demonstrates His extraordinary generosity.
How can we apply it today?
The value of goodly loan never ceases and is for all times. A goodly loan may include:
- feeding a struggling family;
- paying for someone’s education or medical treatment;
- helping an honest debtor;
- supporting an orphan or widow;
- contributing to clean water, shelter, or community welfare;
- giving secretly to preserve another person’s dignity;
- supporting authentic religious education and beneficial knowledge.
It may also include qard ḥasan in its ordinary legal sense: giving someone an interest-free loan and requiring only the original amount to be returned.
The deeper lesson
The “goodly loan” is a test of what we truly believe. Wealth appears to decrease when it leaves our hands, but faith sees that it has merely been transferred from a temporary account in this world to an everlasting account with Allah.
Please listen to an enlightening explanation of goodly loan to Allah by Nauman Ali Khan, one of the eminent Muslim scholars of present times:
To sum up, it is impressed upon all believers that to lend Allah a goodly loan means to give sincerely from what He has entrusted to us, confident that He will preserve it, multiply it, and return it as blessing, forgiveness, and eternal reward.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may refer to more Selected Verses from Sürah 57. Al-Ḥadīd (The Iron)
already published.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference pages:
- Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
- Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects
- Selected Verses from the Qur'an.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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