271 Preface إِن تُبدُوا الصَّدَقاتِ فَنِعِمّا هِيَ ۖ وَإِن تُخفوها وَتُؤتوهَا الفُقَراءَ فَهُوَ خَيرٌ لَكُم ۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِن سَيِّئَاتِكُم ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِما تَعمَلونَ خَبيرٌYusuf AliIf ye disclose (acts1 of) charity, even so it is well, but if ye conceal them, and make them reach those (really) in need, that is best for you: It will remove from you some of your (stains of) evil. And God is well acquainted with what ye do.It is better to seek no publicity in charity. But if it is known there is no harm. If it is for public purposes, it must necessarily be known, and a pedantic show of concealment may itself be a fault. The harm of publicity lies in motives of ostentation. We can better reach the really deserving poor by quietly seeking for them. The spiritual benefit ensures to our own souls, provided our motives are pure, and we are really seeking the good pleasure of God.