وَمَنْ يَجْعَلِ الْمَعْرُوفَ فِي غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ ۞ يَكُنْ حَمْدُهُ ذَمًّا عَلَيْهِ وَيَنْدَمِ
Whoever directs beneficence to those who are unworthy of it may find his praise turned into blame and be left regretting it.
Al-maʿrūf is benevolent conduct, while ahlihi refers to those who properly receive or appreciate it in the poet’s social argument. The reversal ḥamduhu dhamman contrasts praise with reproach. This is a warning about judgment and the social outcome of favors, not a license to deny help to people in genuine need.