وَلا تَحاضّونَ عَلىٰ طَعامِ المِسكينِ

And do not urge one another the feeding of the needy.

EXEGESIS

The second person, plural, imperfect tense verb taḥāḍḍūna means: to urge one another, to encourage one another.^{‎[1]Burhan, 5/218.}

Miskīn (needy) is used in this verse, however other terms are also used in the Quran for the poor such as faqīr and bāʾis (22:28). These terms enjoy nuanced differences in meaning. Abū Baṣīr asked Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) about 9:60: Charities are only for the poor (fuqarāʾ) and the needy (masākīn). The Imam explained: ‘Faqīr is the destitute who does not beg [for help] from the people, while miskīn is more destitute than him, and the bāʾis is even poorer.’ Therefore, apparently, faqīr despite being needy is abstemious and does not beg, but miskīn does, which is an explanation attributed to Ibn Abbas.^{‎[2]Tabrisi, 3/41.}

EXPOSITION

The critical tone seen in the preceding verses continues in this verse. This very same reproach occurs in 69:34 as well, wherein it is mentioned as a trait for which the unfortunate person, who will be given his record in his left hand on the Day of Judgement, will be blamed because he never encouraged the feeding of the poor. In 107:3, the characteristic of not urging others to feed the poor is identified as one of the core attributes of one who denies the Day of Judgement. In the dialogue between the inhabitants of paradise and hell that is narrated in 74:40-47, not feeding the poor is mentioned as one of the main reasons the inhabitants of hell identify for their sorry fate. In 90:14-17, feeding the starving person, the orphan, and the needy is described as a difficult and trying act but highly commendable, and consequently in 76:8-9 the pious who shall be in paradise are identified as those who feed the needy, the orphan, and the captive for the love of God (apart from other characteristics).

The concern for feeding the poor appears of great significance in the Quran, for while it castigates and censures those who did not practice this act of philanthropy, it subsequently goes on to institutionalise this act as part of religious expiatory offerings, evidenced in 2:184, 5:95, 5:89, and 58:4, while asking the faithful pilgrims on the hajj to feed the poor from the animals sacrificed during the pilgrimage (22:28 and 22:36).

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘One of the things that gives a person obligatory entrance into paradise and forgiveness is feeding a starving person,’ and then he recited the verse, Or feeding [the needy] on a day of starvation (90:14).^{‎[3]Barqi, 4/145, h. 1382.}
2. Imam al-Bāqir (a) said: ‘Indeed, God loves the feeding of food to others.’^{‎[4]Barqi, 4/142, h. 1370.}
3. Imam Ali (a) said: ‘That which you eat gets consumed whereas that which you feed others spreads and diffuses.’^{‎[5]Ghurar, p. 9634.}
4. Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘Publicising all that which God has made obligatory on you is better than concealing it, however concealing all that which is voluntary is better than publicising it. And if a person were to carry on his shoulders the portion of his wealth which constitutes the zakat and distribute it publicly, then that would be a beautiful deed.’^{‎[6]Daqaiq, 5/479.}

[1] Burhan, 5/218.
[2] Tabrisi, 3/41.
[3] Barqi, 4/145, h. 1382.
[4] Barqi, 4/142, h. 1370.
[5] Ghurar, p. 9634.
[6] Daqaiq, 5/479.