Sūrah Al-Insān Man: Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī Qurʾānic Rulings and Law

DetailInformationClassificationSignificance

SurahAl-Insān (Ad-Dahr)MedinanThe believing servant's voluntary generosity and worship

Key Fiqh IssueṢawm nafl (voluntary fasting) entering, exiting, and make-up obligationSunnah to enter / Make-up if broken (majority)Determines whether nafl fasting binds the person once entered

School ComparisonḤanafī: nafl fast can be broken but qaḍāʾ is wājib; Mālikī: breaking deliberately requires qaḍāʾ; Shāfiʿī: breaking nafl fast no kaffārah, qaḍāʾ recommended; Ḥanbalī: breaking nafl fast requires qaḍāʾSunnah with binding element once enteredMost schools treat entered nafl fast as semi-binding

Uṣūl PrincipleIṭlāq al-nafl scope of voluntary worship once enteredOnce entered, may bindEntering worship creates a level of obligation to complete it

Al-Qurṭubī derives from verse 9 "we feed you only for the sake of Allah we want no reward or gratitude from you" the model of voluntary, purely altruistic worship. He applies this to the fiqh of nafl fasting: the believers who feed others for Allah's sake model the spirit of nafl ʿibādah (voluntary worship), but their voluntary commitment creates a binding expectation of completion. Al-Qurṭubī surveys the school positions on whether breaking a nafl fast deliberately after entering it requires qaḍāʾ.

The Ḥanafī and Ḥanbalī schools treat the entered nafl fast as semi-binding: deliberately breaking it requires qaḍāʾ (make-up fasting). The Shāfiʿī school recommends qaḍāʾ but does not require it there is no expiation (kaffārah) for breaking a nafl fast in any school. The uṣūl principle of iṭlāq al-nafl (scope of voluntary worship) raises the question: does entering a nafl act create an obligation to complete it? Al-Qurṭubī's analysis reflects the tension between the voluntary nature of nafl worship and the respect owed to divine acts once commenced.

إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا Innamā nuṭʿimukum li-wajhi llāhi lā nurīdu minkum jazāʾan wa-lā shukūrā Meaning: "We feed you only for the sake of Allah we want no reward or gratitude from you" Al-Qurṭubī: the pure sincerity (ikhlāṣ) expressed here models the ideal of nafl worship done solely for Allah; al-Qurṭubī derives that nafl worship entered with this sincere intention deserves completion; casual abandonment disrespects the act.

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا Wa-yuṭʿimūna l-ṭaʿāma ʿalā ḥubbihi miskīnan wa-yatīman wa-asīrā Meaning: "And they give food in spite of love for it to the poor, the orphan, and the captive" Al-Qurṭubī: "ʿalā ḥubbihi" (despite their love for it) the voluntary giving here is at personal cost; al-Qurṭubī derives that the highest form of nafl charity and worship is what costs the giver something nafl ʿibādah of real effort has greater reward than costless nafl.

Nafl fasting once entered is treated as semi-binding by Ḥanafī and Ḥanbalī deliberately breaking it requires qaḍāʾ (make-up), though no kaffārah (expiation) is required.
Shāfiʿī school: breaking a nafl fast no kaffārah; qaḍāʾ is recommended but not obligatory the most lenient position.
No school requires kaffārah for breaking a nafl fast expiation is for Ramaḍān fast specifically; nafl breaking is at most a sin requiring make-up.
Charity that costs the giver something ("ʿalā ḥubbihi" despite their love for it) has greater reward the principle applies to all nafl worship: voluntary worship at personal cost is most valuable.
The spirit of ikhlāṣ (sincerity) is the defining feature of nafl worship nafl entered with pure sincerity for Allah's sake deserves completion out of respect for the act.

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