Surah 89:18

Surah 89

"nor do you urge the feeding of the poor,"

Islamic Commentaries (1)Manuscripts (31)

Wealth and Poverty are both a Test and Honor or Disgrace for the Servant Verses 89:15-20

Show Full Scripture Context (89:15-20) — 6 Verses

Verse 15

فَأَمَّا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكۡرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَكۡرَمَنِ

As for the human, whenever his Lord tests him, and honors him and blesses him, he says, ‘My Lord has honored me.’

Verse 16

وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَهَٰنَنِ

But whenever he tests him, and restricts his provision for him, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’

Verse 17

كَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا تُكۡرِمُونَ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ

By no means! No! You do not honor the orphan,

Verse 18

وَلَا تَحَـٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ

nor do you urge the feeding of the poor,

Verse 19

وَتَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكۡلٗا لَّمّٗا

yet you devour the inheritance greedily,

Verse 20

وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡمَالَ حُبّٗا جَمّٗا

and love wealth passionately.

Allah refutes man in his belief that if Allah gives Him abundant provisions to test him with it, it is out of His honor for him. But this is not the case, rather it is a trial and a test, as Allah says.

{Do they think that in wealth and children with which We enlarge them. We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not.} (23:55-56)

Likewise, from another angle, if Allah tests him and tries him by curtailing his sustenance, he believes that is because Allah is humiliating him. As Allah says,

{But no!} meaning, the matter is not as he claims, neither in this nor in that. For indeed Allah gives wealth to those whom He loves as well as those whom He does not love. Likewise, He withholds sustenance from those whom He loves and those whom He does not love. The point is that Allah should be obeyed in either circumstance. If one is wealthy, he should thank Allah for that, and if he is poor, he should exercise patience.

From the Evil that the Servant does regarding Wealth

Allah said,

Quoted Scripture

"But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity!"

This contains the command to honor him (the orphan). Abu Dawud recorded from Sahl bin Said that the Messenger of Allah said,

“The guardian of the orphan and I will be like these two in Paradise.” And he put his two fingers together - the middle finger and the index finger.

Quoted Scripture

"And urge not one another on the feeding of the Miskin!"

meaning, they do not command that the poor and the needy be treated with kindness, nor do they encourage each other to do so.

{And you devour the Turath} meaning, the inheritance.

{devouring with greed.} meaning, however they can get it, whether lawful or forbidden.

{And you love wealth with love Jamma.} meaning, in abundance. This increases some of them in their wickedness.

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.

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