The Impact of Almsgiving on the Facilitation of Worldly Life: A Study Based on the Verses of Sūrat al-Layl

Document Type : مقاله پژوهشی

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Teaching, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran

2 Ph.D. Student in Allameh Askari Islamic Studies Center, Tehran, Iran

3 M.A. Student of Quranic Sciences in Imam Komini Institute, Qom, Iran

10.22084/qss.2025.30542.1104

Abstract

 Almsgiving (infāq), as one of the Qur’anic themes, is discussed in various verses, and attention to its multiple dimensions remains an important area of scholarly research. In verse 7 of Sūrat al-Layl, the consequence of this act is addressed, where those who give in charity are promised: “We will surely ease his way to ease” (فَسَنُیَسِّرُهُ لِلْیُسْرَى). Some interpretations understand al-yusrā in an eschatological sense— namely, referring to Paradise. However, the question arises whether a social and worldly interpretation can also be derived from it. This study seeks to answer this question through a comparative analysis of various Qur’anic commentaries. Several interpretations, particularly those employing ijtihādī and socially-oriented approaches, were selected. The findings indicate that social interpretations emphasize the role of almsgiving in facilitating worldly life and do not confine its effects solely to the hereafter. This perspective has influenced some Qur’anic translations, where translators—considering the worldly effects of charity—have rendered the verse with terms such as “ease” or “comfort,” reflecting the tangible impact of almsgiving. The study concludes that differing exegetical tendencies and methodological approaches have significantly influenced the interpretation of this verse, especially in terms of deriving social implications from its message.

Keywords

Social Studies of the Quran
Volume 3, Issue 2
March 2025
Pages 354-370

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History

  • Receive Date: 02 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 13 January 2025
  • Accept Date: 22 February 2025

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