Sūrah Al-Layl The Night: Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī Qurʾānic Rulings and Law

DetailInformationClassificationSignificance

SurahAl-LaylMeccanThe contrast between generosity and miserliness

Key Fiqh IssueNafl sadaqah secret vs. public charity and the ḥukm on eachSunnah / Different rulings by contextDetermines when giving in secret is better and when public giving is appropriate

School ComparisonAll four schools: sadaqah sirr (secret) better for nafl; sadaqah ʿalāniyah (public) better for zakāh; giving public nafl acceptable when motivating others; giving nafl secretly recommended to avoid riyāʾContext-dependentThe riyāʾ concern is the primary reason secret charity is preferred

Uṣūl PrincipleTafarruq al-sadaqāt different rulings for obligatory vs. voluntary charity based on their purposesCategorical distinctionThe purpose of zakāh (social obligation) vs. nafl (spiritual purification) drives different publicity rules

Al-Qurṭubī derives from verse 18 "who gives his wealth to purify himself" that voluntary charity is primarily an act of self-purification (tazkiyah nafs), making the avoidance of showing off (riyāʾ) especially important. He surveys the school positions: for nafl sadaqah, giving secretly is preferred it avoids riyāʾ and mirrors the divine preference expressed in Qurʾān 2:271 "if you conceal it and give it to the poor, it is better for you."

The exception: when public giving motivates others to give (encourages charitable behavior), public nafl giving becomes permitted and may even be preferred. Zakāh (farḍ), however, can and sometimes should be given publicly demonstrating compliance with the legal obligation and encouraging others to fulfill theirs. Al-Qurṭubī applies the uṣūl principle of tafarruq al-sadaqāt: the purpose of nafl (spiritual purification) drives the preference for secrecy; the purpose of zakāh (social obligation and community welfare) permits public giving.

وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّىٰ Wa-sa-yujannabuhā l-atqā alladhī yuʾtī mālahu yatazakkā Meaning: "And he who is most righteous will be kept away from it the one who gives his wealth to purify himself" Al-Qurṭubī: "yatazakkā" (to purify himself) the purpose of giving is self-purification; al-Qurṭubī derives that charity done for social status (to be praised) or for business advantages has lost this purification purpose and becomes spiritually worthless even if legally valid.

وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِن نِّعْمَةٍ تُجْزَىٰ Wa-mā li-aḥadin ʿindahu min niʿmatin tujzā Meaning: "Not expecting from anyone a favor to be repaid" Al-Qurṭubī: the purest charity is given with no expectation of social return no future favor, no reputation gain, no reciprocal obligation; al-Qurṭubī derives that this standard of unconditional giving is the model for sadaqah sirr (secret charity) which structurally eliminates social return.

Nafl sadaqah given secretly is preferred by all four schools avoids riyāʾ (showing off) and matches the Qurʾānic preference expressed in 2:271.
Public nafl giving is permitted when it motivates others to give the public motivational benefit overrides the riyāʾ concern in this specific circumstance.
Zakāh giving can be public demonstrating legal compliance and motivating others to fulfill their obligation; the publicity of zakāh has a social dimension that nafl lacks.
The purpose of charity determines its rule: purification purpose (nafl) → prefer secret; social obligation purpose (zakāh) → public acceptable.
Giving to receive social favors or repay obligations is not pure sadaqah even if physically valuable to the recipient, it loses its tazkiyah character when given with expectation of return.

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