Abstract

This article examines the verse: “And they give food, despite their love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive” (Surah Al-Insan 76:8) within the contextual integrity of Surah Al-Insan. Being a Medinan surah, it deals with the formation process of the faithful believer’s personality. The aforementioned verse represents the social manifestation of spiritual discipline within the surah’s main theme and reflects the ethical stance of believers woven with sincerity, benevolence, and altruism. Within this framework, the meaning of the verse is analyzed through the lens of the Quranic contextual structure (siyāq) and the interrelated context (sibāq). It is emphasized that the act of feeding is not merely a social aid, but the product of a high-level faith training. This action is performed solely for the sake of Allah and is closely related to the fear of Allah and hope for His reward. Exegetes, especially Al-Qurtubi and Al-Razi, interpret the phrase “for the sake of Allah” (li-wajhillāh) as representing the pinnacle of sincerity, and the plural verb form “We feed you” (nut'imukum) as underscoring the concept of collective action in building the Islamic moral society. The verse’s linguistic and rhetorical aspects are examined in detail. The use of “ʿalā ḥubbihi” (“despite their love for it”) with the preposition ʿalā instead of maʿa (“with”) or fī (“in”) is a rhetorical choice indicating resistance and overcoming, signifying that the giving is done despite a strong love for the food, not merely along with or in it. This demonstrates the supreme degree of altruism where one prioritizes others above his own desires. Throughout the study, fundamental sources of Quranic exegesis such as those by Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi, Al-Razi, and Ibn Ashur have been consulted. Furthermore, insights from the sciences of language and rhetoric have been utilized. The analysis is also framed by the higher objectives of Islamic law (maqāṣid al-sharī‘a), including human dignity, fostering a sense of responsibility, establishing the ethics of sincerity and altruism. The verse, therefore, concretizes the Quranic typology of the exemplary believer and points to the fundamental principles shaping the ethical backbone of the Islamic community. Surah Al-Insan begins by reminding humans of their origin from nothingness and the purpose of their creation—trial and testing. It categorizes humanity into those who are grateful and those who are ungrateful, then presents the righteous as a model whose faith is manifested in practical behavior, with feeding others leading this behavior. The verse appears as a pivotal point in the surah’s thematic progression, starting with the scene of creation and testing, moving to the behavior of benevolence and altruism, and concluding with the promise of eternal divine reward as expressed in: “So Allah protected them from the evil of that Day and gave them radiance and happiness.” This structure emphasizes the intrinsic link between sincere deeds and the noble reward in the hereafter. Thus, the verse does not describe a mere incidental act but rather sketches the characteristics of the “perfect human” who transcends self-interest and devotes what he loves for the sake of Allah, thereby deserving eternal delight and bliss. The methodology employed in this study combines analytical and inductive approaches, involving contextual and rhetorical reading of the Quranic text, supported by reputable exegeses, linguistic and rhetorical sciences, and the objectives of Islamic law, to reveal the deep significance of feeding others and its psychological and social effects.