Quran Universe
89:18

وَلَا تَحَـٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ

Wala tahaddoona AAala taAAami almiskeeni

And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.

Word by word
  1. وَلَاAnd not
  2. تَحَـٰٓضُّونَyou feel the urge
  3. عَلَىٰto
  4. طَعَامِfeed
  5. ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِthe poor
Al-Fajr · 89:18Makkah

And you do not push each other to feed the poor.

A community that never encourages giving

What is missing
youand your circle
do not urge
feeding the poorthe needy left out
Your part
I feed whoever I seeprivate only
I also urge othersmake giving normal

Ibn Kathir: they do not command that the poor and needy be treated with kindness, nor encourage each other to do so. The verse does not only blame not giving. It blames a whole circle that never talks about it.

Your friends' group chat talks about restaurants, phones, holidays. When did it last share a food bank appeal? One message from you can change what your circle sees as normal.

Feeding the poor is a private matter between me and Allah.

I can also be the one who reminds others to feed the poor.

Try this

Share one way to feed someone in need with a friend or family group today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 89:15)

As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honor and bounties, then he says: "My Lord has honored me. (15)But when He tries him by straitening his means of life, he says: "My Lord has humiliated me! (16)But no! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity (17)And urge not one another on the feeding of the Miskin (18)And you devour the Turath – devouring with greed (19)And you love wealth with love Jamma (20)

Wealth and Poverty are both a Test and Honor or Disgrace for the Servant

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,

أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ - نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ ۚ بَل لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ

(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,

كَلَّا

(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,

بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ الْيَتِيمَ

(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 Sa'id that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

أَنَا وَكَافِلُ الْيَتِيمِ كَهَاتَيْنِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ

(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.

وَلَا تَحَاضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ

(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.

وَتَأْكُلُونَ التُّرَاثَ

(And you devour the Turath) meaning, the inheritance.

أَكْلًا لَّمًّا

(devouring with greed.) meaning, however they can get it, whether lawful or forbidden.

وَتُحِبُّونَ الْمَالَ حُبًّا جَمًّا

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