The 365 · Verses · Day 270 · Justice
Qur'an 76:8
وَيُطْعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا
“They give food to the poor, the orphan, and the captive, though they love it themselves. (Quran 76:8)”
Svenska: Och de ger med gott hjärta av det de själva tycker om åt den nödställde, den föräldralöse och fången. (Koranen 76:8)
A reflection to carry
Allah, in Sūrat al-Insan 76:8, described the people of Jannah in a single quality. 'Wa yuṭʿimūna al-ṭaʿāma ʿalā ḥubbihi miskīnan wa yatīman wa asīrā.' They feed the food, despite loving it themselves, to the destitute, the orphan, and the captive. Three categories. Three of the most vulnerable. And the qualifier 'despite loving it' is structural: they did not give the leftovers; they gave what they themselves wanted. The verse continues (76:9-10): 'we feed you only for the face of Allah; we want no reward or thanks from you; truly we fear from our Lord a stern Day.' The niyyah is named in the next two verses. They feed for Allah's face alone; they expect no return from the recipients; they fear the Day. The complete portrait of pure giving. Ya akhī, ya ukhtī, this is the Jannah-portrait of giving. Three recipients. One niyyah (Allah's face). One fear (the Day). One signature trait: giving from what you love.
Read the longer reflection
Yā Rabb, You painted, in Sūrat al-Insan, the portrait of those who entered Jannah. Their signature trait: feeding the destitute, the orphan, the captive, despite loving the food themselves. The 'despite loving it' is the critical brushstroke. They did not give leftovers. They gave what they wanted for themselves. The three categories You named are the three most vulnerable: miskīn (destitute), yatīm (orphan), asīr (captive). And You added (76:9-10) the niyyah and the fear: 'we feed you only for the face of Allah; we want no reward or thanks; we fear our Lord on a stern Day.' Ya Allāh, this portrait should restructure my giving. Audit my current habits: do I give what I love, or what I had extra of? The clothes donated to charity: were they the worn ones or the ones I would have kept? The food given to the food drive: was it the canned goods near expiration, or the items I enjoyed? The cash given to the orphan: was it the change or a real portion? Most of my giving has been from the surplus, not from what I loved. Forgive me. Realign me. Make me of the abrār You named in al-Insan, who give from what they love. Specifically train me to redirect to the three categories: the miskīn (build a monthly support for one); the yatīm (sponsor an orphan permanently); the asīr (in our age, the imprisoned Muslim, the refugee, the trafficked sister, the cause-imprisoned activist). Build the portrait of 76:8 into my giving life. And ya Rabb, on the Day You raise the people of al-Insan, let me be among them, having given what I loved. Āmīn ya Mālik al-Yawm.
A verse, a healing, and a Sunnah, every morning.
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