m-l-q

Description

The Arabic root م-ل-ق (m-l-q) in the Quran conveys the meaning of extreme poverty, destitution, or financial ruin that threatens survival. It appears in verses warning against killing children out of fear of poverty (imlāq), either current poverty or feared future poverty. The root emphasizes a state of complete material deprivation that could drive people to desperate measures, and the Quran uses it to reassure believers that God provides sustenance, prohibiting infanticide based on such economic fears.