POVERTY IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE QUR'AN AND THE BIBLE: A COMPARATIVE THEOLOGICAL STUDY
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Abstract
Poverty is a multidimensional issue that affects not only economic aspects, but also spiritual, moral, social, and structural dimensions. However, theological studies on poverty in Islam and Christianity are still dominated by normative-descriptive approaches that have not yet systematically developed a comparative theological framework and have not bridged the gap between the theological ideals of the scriptures and the social realities of religious communities. The academic problem of this research lies in the lack of inter-traditional theological dialogue that is capable of explaining the structure of the meaning of poverty, the similarities and differences in the vision of social justice, and its implications for contemporary public ethics. This study uses a qualitative-descriptive approach based on textual studies with thematic analysis methods of verses from the Qur'an and passages from the Bible related to poverty, social justice, and moral responsibility. Theoretically, this study relies on a comparative theological framework and contextual hermeneutics to interpret poverty as a multidimensional and historical theological category. The results of the study show that both the Qur'an and the Bible have a strong theological bias towards the poor and emphasize that poverty is not merely an individual problem, but an indicator of structural injustice and collective ethical failure. The Qur'an highlights poverty through the classification of the poor and needy and establishes instruments such as zakat, infaq, and the prohibition of wealth as mechanisms for wealth redistribution. Meanwhile, the Bible promotes the principles of redistribution, community solidarity, the Jubilee law, and prophetic criticism of economic exploitation. Both holy books agree that poverty is a collective moral challenge that demands social responsibility, structural reform, and concrete ethical action from individuals and institutions alike.
Keywords : Poverty, Al-Qur'an, Bible, Comparative Theology, Social Justice, Spirituality.
Kemiskinan merupakan persoalan multidimensional yang tidak hanya menyangkut kekurangan materi, tetapi juga menyentuh aspek spiritual, moral, sosial, dan struktural. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji kemiskinan dalam perspektif Al-Qur’an dan Bible, dengan menelusuri esensi, eksistensi, faktor penyebab, strategi penanggulangan, dan urgensinya dalam kehidupan manusia. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan analisis teks-teks suci sebagai sumber utama. Hasil pembahasan menunjukkan bahwa baik Al-Qur’an maupun Bible memiliki keberpihakan teologis yang kuat terhadap kaum miskin dan menekankan pentingnya keadilan sosial. Al-Qur’an menyoroti kemiskinan melalui klasifikasi fakir-miskin dan menetapkan instrumen seperti zakat, infak, dan larangan riba untuk menanggulanginya. Sementara Bible mengusung prinsip redistribusi kekayaan, solidaritas komunitas, dan kritik terhadap ketamakan serta eksploitasi. Kedua kitab suci sepakat bahwa kemiskinan merupakan ujian kolektif yang menuntut tanggung jawab moral dan tindakan nyata dari individu maupun institusi sosial. Urgensi ayat-ayat tentang kemiskinan menegaskan bahwa membela kaum lemah adalah bagian dari esensi iman dan ibadah sosial.
Kata Kunci: kemiskinan, Al-Qur’an, Bible, keadilan sosial, spiritualitas, strategi penanggulangan
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