What is the punishment of someone who denies a needy or poor person food?
ما جزاء من يمنع الطعام عن المحتاج أو المسكين؟
Feeding the hungry is not just a recommended charity in Islam; it is a fundamental obligation of human decency. Deliberately denying basic sustenance to the vulnerable is seen as a direct act of cruelty that invites the ultimate divine wrath and severe punishment in the Hereafter.
إن إطعام الجائع ليس مجرد صدقة مستحبة في الإسلام، بل هو التزام أساسي بالكرامة الإنسانية. ويعتبر التعمد في منع القوت الأساسي عن الضعفاء عملا مباشرا من أعمال القسوة التي تجلب غضب الله المطلق والعذاب الشديد في الآخرة.
1. Deprivation of Divine Mercy | الحرمان من رحمة الله
The absolute worst consequence for such hardhearted individuals is spiritual abandonment. Allah will not speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Judgment, and they will have a severe punishment. This signifies the total loss of divine grace when they will need it the most.
أسوأ عاقبة على الإطلاق لهؤلاء القساة هي الهجران الروحي. فلا يكلمهم الله ولا ينظر إليهم يوم القيامة ولا يزكيهم ولهم عذاب أليم. وهذا يدل على الفقدان التام للرحمة الإلهية في الوقت الذي سيكونون فيه بأمس الحاجة إليها.
2. The Quranic Warning | الوعيد القرآني
The Quran vividly describes the horrifying fate of those who refuse to feed the hungry. Allah Almighty says: (It will be said, "Seize and shackle them, then burn them in Hell, then tie them up with chains seventy arms long. For they never had faith in Allah, the Greatest, nor encouraged the feeding of the poor.") Surah Al Haqqah 69: 30 to 34.
He also says: (Have you seen the one who denies the final Judgment? That is the one who repulses the orphan, and does not encourage the feeding of the poor.) Surah Al Ma'un 107: 1 to 3.
يصف القرآن الكريم بوضوح المصير المرعب لمن يرفض إطعام الجائع. قال الله تعالى: (خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ * ثُمَّ الْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ * ثُمَّ فِي سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فَاسْلُكُوهُ * إِنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ * وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ) الحاقة 69: 30 إلى 34.
وقال الله تعالى: (أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّينِ * فَذَٰلِكَ الَّذِي يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ * وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ) الماعون 107: 1 إلى 3.
3. Withholding Water from the Needy | منع الماء عن المحتاج
As in the hadith narrated by Abu Huraira may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet pbuh warned about three people whom Allah will not Look at, nor Purify on Judgment Day. Among them is: (A man who is in charge of a source of water and he prevents a passer by from drinking. So Allah tells him: Today I will prevent you from receiving My Grace just as you prevented people from what you did not create.) Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.
وورد في السنة عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (ثلاثة لا يكلمهم الله ولا ينظر إليهم يوم القيامة ولا يزكيهم ولهم عذاب أليم: رجل على فضل ماء يمنعه ابن السبيل فيقول الله له يوم القيامة: اليوم أمنعك فضلي كما منعت فضل ما لم تعمل يداك) رواه البخاري ومسلم.
4. Starving Animals | القسوة على الحيوانات بمنع الطعام
This strict ruling against denying food is not limited to humans; it applies firmly to animals as well. Abdullah ibn Umar may Allah be pleased with him reported that the Messenger of Allah pbuh said: "A woman was tormented because of a cat which she had kept locked up until it died, and she was thrown into Hell for that. She neither gave it food or drink when she locked it up nor freed it so that it would eat from the vermin of the earth."
ينطبق هذا الحكم الصارم أيضا على الحيوانات. ففي الحديث: (دخلت امرأة النار في هرة حبستها، لا هي أطعمتها ولا تركتها تأكل من خشاش الأرض). وعن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: (عذبت امرأة في هرة سجنتها حتى ماتت فدخلت فيها النار، لا هي أطعمتها ولا سقتها إذ حبستها، ولا هي تركتها تأكل من خشاش الأرض).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Will Allah forgive someone who denies water to a thirsty traveler?
The Prophet pbuh explicitly stated that a person who hoards excess water and denies it to a passer by will be deprived of Allah's grace, and Allah will not look at them on Judgment Day.
What happens if someone starves an animal?
Starving an animal is a major sin in Islam. As the hadith about the woman and the cat demonstrates, intentionally locking up an animal without food or water leads directly to torment in Hell.
Does failing to encourage feeding the poor carry a punishment?
Yes. The Quran in Surah Al Haqqah and Surah Al Ma'un strongly condemns not just those who refuse to feed the poor, but even those who fail to encourage others to do so, linking this behavior directly to a lack of true faith.