76. Sura, Al-Insan (Man)
Period Uncertain
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
76: 7. They perform (their) vows ...
C5836. They: i.e., the Righteous: they are known in the present life by the virtues described in verses 7-10, and in the life of the Hereafter they will enjoy the Bliss described in verses 11-22.
C5837. Cf. 22:29.
The vows must be vows of spiritual service, which of course includes service to humanity, such as is mentioned in the next verse. They are Devotees of Allah, and they must perform all vows and contracts (5:I and n. 682). Vows of the Pagan sort, savouring of a sort of "bribe" to the Deity, are not approved.
... وَيَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا كَانَ شَرُّهُ مُسْتَطِيرًا ﴿٧﴾
... and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide.
C5838. That is, they prepare for the Judgment to come, where the effects of Sin will not be transitory but far-reaching.
وَيُطْعِمُونَ
الطَّعَامَ
عَلَى حُبِّهِ
مِسْكِينًا
وَيَتِيمًا
وَأَسِيرًا ﴿٨﴾
76: 8. And they feed, for the love of Allah,
- the indigent,
- the orphan,
- and the captive --
C5839. The captive: when taken literally, it refers to the old state of things when captives of war had to earn their own food, or their own redemption;
even ordinary prisoners in jail for criminal offences often starved unless food was provided for them by private friends or from their own earnings.
But there is a further symbolic meaning, which applies to the indigent, the orphans, and the captives, viz, those who are so in a spiritual sense: those have no mental or moral resources, or have no one to look after them, or are held down in social or moral or economic captivity. they hunger for spiritual food, or perhaps their appreciate is deadened, but the righteous understand and supply their real needs.
It has also been held that "captive" include dumb animals who are under subjection to man; they must be properly fed, housed, and looked after; and the righteous man does not forget them.
إِنَّمَا
نُطْعِمُكُمْ
لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ
لَا نُرِيدُ
مِنكُمْ جَزَاء
وَلَا شُكُورًا ﴿٩﴾
76: 9. (Saying),
"We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: No reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.
C5840. These words need not be actually uttered. They express the true motives of pious and unpretentious Charity.
إِنَّا
نَخَافُ مِن
رَّبِّنَا
يَوْمًا عَبُوسًا
قَمْطَرِيرًا ﴿١٠﴾
76: 10. "We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord."
C5841. It is a Day of Distress for sin and evil. But the truly righteous are not self-righteous. They have the fear of Allah in their minds: they know they are human, and they fear lest they should be found wanting in the sight of Allah. But Allah in His Mercy gives them a bountiful Reward.
Asad’s Version:
76:7
[The truly virtuous are] they [who] fulfil their vows,' and stand in awe of a Day the woe of which is bound to spread far and wide,
(76:8) and who give food - however great be their own want of it - unto the needy, and the orphan, and the captive,"
(76: 9) [saying, in their hearts,] "We feed you for the sake of God alone: we desire no recompense from you, nor thanks:
(76:10) behold, we stand in awe of our Sustainer's judgment 12 on a distressful, fateful Day!"