O Ye who believe expend out of the good things which ye have earned and out of that which We have brought forth for you from the earth, and seek not the vile thereof to expend, whereas ye yourselves would not accept such except ye connived thereat. And know that Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy. 267 Satan promises you poverty, and bids you unto indecency; but God promises you His pardon and His bounty; and God is All-embracing, All-knowing. 268 God gives wisdom to anyone whom He wants. Whoever is given wisdom, certainly, has received much good. Only people of reason can grasp this. 269 And whatever you spend of expenditures or make of vows - indeed, Allah knows of it. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers. 270 If you give alms openly, it is well; but if you do it secretly and give to the poor, that is better. This will absolve you of some of your sins; and God is cognisant of all you do. 271 ۞ It is not for thee [O Prophet] to make people follow the right path, since it is God [alone] who guides whom He wills. And whatever good you may spend on others is for your own good, provided that you spend only out of a longing for God's countenance: for, whatever good you may spend will be repaid unto you in full, and you shall not be wronged. 272 The needy, who are too engrossed in God's cause to be able to travel about the land in search of a livelihood, are considered by those who are unaware of their condition to be free from want, because they refrain from begging. But they can be known from their appearance. They do not make insistent demands upon people. Whatever wealth you spend, God knows it. 273