Why Is Charity So Important in Islam?
Although all social systems try to conceal poverty from their society, poverty has always been an important challenge in different societies. Poor people have always existed in the world throughout history.
Some people may not like to give charity to others. Since they think that giving charity to the poor will make them more useless and will make the view of the society unpleasant. At the time of the prophet (PBUH), the same way of thinking existed. Concerning that, this verse of the holy Quran was revealed: “When they are told, ‘Spend out of what Allah has provided you,’ the faithless say to the faithful, ‘Shall we feed [someone] whom Allah would feed if He wished? You are only in manifest error.” (36: 47)
How Does The Quran Mention Charity in Islam?
Quran uses different words while it encourages people to give charity. Mostly used words are as follows: Infaq, Zakat, Sadaqa.
Infaq is the general word that is used for granting something to others. This is not necessarily money. Infaq includes any kind of help that we provide for those who do not have it. For example, teaching something to someone who does not have the knowledge. Or even spreading positive feelings in different gatherings that make others feel better is a kind of charity [1]. But sadaqa refers to those kinds of donations that are material (not spiritual).
In the Quran, it is repeatedly recommended that believers should give charity to ascend the steps of spirituality; “You will never attain piety until you spend out of what you hold dear, and whatever you may spend on anything, Allah indeed knows it.” (3: 92)
Giving Alms-tax (zakat) and Infaq are always followed by the order to pray the obligatory prayers. This shows the importance of this social act; “And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves – you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah of what you do is Seeing.” (Quran 2:110)
It is so important that Allah says in the Quran “Spend in the way of Allah and do not cast yourselves with your own hands into destruction” (2: 195). The destruction that is mentioned here can be the social consequences of the capitalist system.
Different Types of Charity in Islam
There are two major types of charity in Islam. These are obligatory charity and voluntary charity.
Voluntary Charities
As its name shows voluntary charity is any kind of charity or almsgiving that are not obligatory for people, but they intend to pay it out to help the needy. Those who give voluntary charity are not necessarily wealthy people. But they share whatever they have, even if not that worthy, with those who may need them too.
Obligatory Charities
Obligatory charities are known as Alms-tax (Zakat), khums and Kaffarah. They are not compulsory for all Muslims unless they meet the necessary criteria to pay them.
1. Zakat
“A person will be obliged to pay Zakat if he is grown-up, of sound mind and in possession of something… The amount of money that should be paid depends on the kind of the material through which Zakat has become obligatory; these are two kinds of metal- gold, and silver-, four grains- barley, wheat, date, and raisin- as well as three kinds of animal - cow, sheep, and camel.”
2. Khums
“Khums becomes obligatory in seven cases, but the one which is inscribed to income is considered as the most salient kind. In this case, one has to pay one-fifth of what has remained from his income after subtracting his own expenses on the exact date that he has paid Khums in the previous year.”
3. Kaffarah or Fidya
Kaffarah or Fidya is the penalty imposed by Islamic law for those who commit a sin or make a mistake and wish to make it up. Kaffarah is used in the following cases:
If someone breaks his/her obligatory fast (Sawm)
If someone breaks an oath
If someone makes some specific mistakes in his/her pilgrimage (Hajj)
If someone kills a person
Allah orders Muslims to pay their penalty for their mistakes by donating to the needy. This shows the importance and the value of helping the poor.
Some Benefits of Giving Charity in Islam
Giving charity ‘saves the society from destruction’ (2: 195) and causes the ‘enhancement in one’s wealth’ (2: 261). Those who give charity in the way of God ‘will have no fear, nor will they grieve.’(2: 274)
Some people pay charity as a means of ‘nearness to Allah and the blessing of the prophet,’ and Allah assures them that “it shall indeed bring them nearness, and Allah will admit them into His mercy.” (9:99)
And Allah (SWT) emphasizes that “And neither do they incur any expense, big or small, nor do they cross any valley, but it is written to their account, so that Allah may reward them by the best of what they used to do.” (9: 121)
Why Does Islam Promote Charity?
Allah (SWT) mentions in the Quran, that the reason for which He made some people wealthy and some poor, is to test His servants; “It is He who has made you successors on the earth, and raised some of you in rank above others so that He may test you in respect to what He has given you.” (6: 165) He would test His servants to see if the rich would help the poor and try to erase poverty from the society. This wealth does not necessarily refer to material properties, but it also includes social or political position.
The reason for which Muslims should give different types of charity is mentioned in the Quran; “… so that they do not circulate among the rich among you.” (59: 7). In other words, God orders you to give charity so that unlike capitalist systems, the wealth of the society does not become the property of some particular people.
The One Who Grants Can Take It Back
Allah mentions in different verses of the Holy Quran that whatever we have is from Him, and He can take it back anytime. Quran describes the story of two men “for each of whom We had made two gardens of vines, and We had surrounded them with date palms and placed crops between them.” One of them becomes proud of what he has and says to his companion “I have more wealth than you and am stronger with respect to numbers… I do not think that this will ever perish”.
As a result of his pride and arrogance “ruin closed in on his produce, and he began to wring his hands for what he had spent on it, as it lay fallen on its trellises. He was saying, ‘I wish I had not ascribed any partner to my Lord.” (18: 32-43)
Reference:
- Tafseer-e nemoone, Hadid, 7
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Ghadir Narrations part 2
07 - Aug - 2021
73 Read
4 Min
21- Day of greetings
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
The value of deeds on that day (Eid Ghadir) is equal to eighty months, and it is recommended to increase the remembrance of Allah and Salawat upon the Prophet (PBUH&HP) and his family.
22- The day of the leadership meeting
Imam Hadi (AS) said to Abu Ishaq:
On the day of Ghadir, the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) raised the hand of his brother Ali (AS) and introduced him as the flag bearer (and commander) of the people and the leader after him. Abu Ishaq said: I said, I beg your pardon, you are right. That is why I came to visit you, I testify that you are the authority of Allah over the people.
23- Takbir Day
Imam Reza (AS) said:
Whoever meets a believer on the day (Ghadir), Allah will send seventy lights on his grave and expand his grave, and every day seventy thousand angels will visit his grave and give him the good news of Paradise.
24- Day of meeting and goodness
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
It is proper to get closer to Allah by doing good to others, fasting, praying, reaching out to relatives, and meeting the brothers of faith because the prophets did so and advised their people when they appointed their successors.
25- Prayer in Ghadir Mosque.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
It is recommended to pray in Ghadir Mosque because the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) introduced and appointed the Commander of the Faithful (AS) there. And that is where the great Allah revealed the truth.
26- Ghadir day prayer
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
A person who prays two units (Rakat) at any time on the day of Eid Ghadir -and it is better to be close to noon, which is the time when the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was appointed leadership in Ghadir at that time- is like someone realized that day ...
27- Ghadir fast
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
The fast of Ghadir day is equal to the fast of the whole life. That is if a person is always alive and fasts all his life, his reward is equal to the reward of fasting on Eid Ghadir.
28- Congratulations and smile day
Imam Reza (AS) said:
Eid Ghadir is a day of congratulations. Congratulations to each other, every time a believer meets his brother, he should say: "Praise be to Allah who has given us the success of grasping the guardianship of Imam Ali (AS) and the leaders." ...
Chapter 3: Guardianship in Ghadir
29- The Prophet and the guardianship of Ali (AS)
On the day of Ghadir, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) ordered: A preacher should call: Gather for prayer. Then he took the hand of Ali (AS), raised it and said:
O Allah, whoever I am the master of, so Ali is also his master, O Allah, love the one who loves Ali and be the enemy of the one who is at enmity with Ali.
30- Prophetic life
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) said:
Whoever wants to live and die like me and live in the eternal paradise that my Lord has promised me, will choose the guardianship of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), because he leads you not astray.
31- The Prophet and Imamate of Ali (AS)
I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) to say to Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS):
O Ali, you are my brother, guardian, heir and successor among my ummah during my life and after my death. Your friend is my friend and your vindictive is my enemy.
32- The foundations of Islam
Imam Baqir (AS) said:
Islam is based on five pillars: prayer, zakat, fasting, Hajj and Wilayah (Guardianship), and nothing has been called as much as what has been emphasized to Wilayah on the Day of Ghadir.
33- Immortal province
Imam Kadhim (AS) said:
The guardianship of Ali (AS) is recorded in the books of all the prophets and no prophet was sent except with the covenant of the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH&HP) and the Imamate of Ali (AS).
34- Wilayah and Tawhid
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) said:
The guardianship of Ali (AS) is the guardianship of Allah, loving him is worshiping Allah, following him is a divine obligation and his friends are friends of Allah and his enemies are enemies of Allah, war with him, war with Allah, and peace with him, peace with Allah Almighty.
35- The day of the devil's wailing
Imam Baqir (AS) said:
Satan, the enemy of Allah, lamented four times: the day he was cursed by Allah, the day he fell to the ground, the day that Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) was sent, and the day of Eid Ghadir.
36- Tawhid fort
The Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) said:
God says: The guardianship of Ali is my stronghold, so whoever enters my fortress will be protected from the fire of Hell.
37- The successor of the Prophet
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) said:
O Ali, I am the city of knowledge and you are its door, do not enter the city except through its door. ... You are the leader of my nation and my successor in this city, whoever obeys you is blessed, and whoever disobeys you is miserable, and your friend has benefited and your enemy has lost.
38- Islam in the shadow of the province
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
The cornerstones of Islam are three things:
Prayer, Zakat and Wilayah, none of which can be made without the other.
39- Ten thousand witnesses
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
O Hafs! Surprising of what Ali (AS) encountered! He could not get his right with ten thousand witnesses (on the day of Ghadir), while a person with two witnesses gets his right.
40- Ali (AS), the commentator of the Quran
The Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) said on the day of Ghadir:
Ali (AS) is the interpretation of the Book of Allah, and the inviter to Allah, be aware that what is lawful and what is forbidden is more than what I introduce and command and forbid and count them. So I was instructed to make a covenant with you to accept what I brought from Allah Almighty about Ali the commander of the faithful and his successors.
O people! Think and understand the divine revelations, pay attention to its courts and do not follow its similarities. I swear by Allah, no one can ever utter the verses of the Qur'an and clarify its interpretation, except the one whom I have taken (and introduced).
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A Seed of Hope and a successful life
29 - Jan - 2023
55 Read
2 Min
What is “hope” and how important it is in our lives? Why do we need hope? How can we cultivate moments of hope in our lives and honour our hope in small ways even through hard times? In other words, How hope makes us successful? And what is the importance of hope for a believer?
A seed of hope is the beginning of every good thing in our livesHope gives birth to ?! life. It always believes for the best, even in the face of the worst circumstances.
For believers in Allah, hope is much more than a wish or a positive outlook; it is based on the promises of Allah found in His Word. They are promises to move on our behalf.
How can we hope in this world full of problems?
We can have hope in life no matter what surrounds us because we serve a mighty Allah who cares about us as knows us by name, and understands the desires of our hearts. “He knows whatever there is in the heavens and the earth, and He knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose, and Allah knows best what is in the hearts”.[1] He who had known us before we were even formed in our mother’s womb. “Indeed the knowledge of the Hour (Resurrection) is with Allah. He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Indeed Allah is The All-knowing, The All-aware”.[2]
Perhaps you are facing setbacks with your job or relationships. Maybe you are struggling financially or the pressures of life is just overwhelming you. If it applies to you, there is still hope! Allah is for you, not against you. His resources are endless As He says, “There is not a thing but that its sources are with Us, and We do not send it down except in a known measure”. [3] His power and love know no boundaries. Allah is on your side. Do not let the enemy, Satan, your thoughts, or anyone else tell you anything different. Keep hope alive and never give up! “Satan frightens you of poverty and prompts you to [commit] indecent acts. But Allah promises you His forgiveness and grace, and Allah is The All-bounteous, The All-knowing”. [4] Allah is a God of more than enough as He does not have any lack. He always has a solution and is ready to speak to you, encourage you and for some, to rescue you. Let me ask you where your hope is today. Is it in people; in your capabilities; in your occupation? Be encouraged and build your hope on nothing less than Allah himself. And put your trust in Him; He suffices as trustee “and He is an excellent trustee”. [5] He is your solid rock in which all other ground is sinking sand.
Hope today, hope now! Know that whoever hopes in Allah and trusts in Him, will never be/get disappointed. This is the right path and this is the way of salvation. Always remember this verse of the Holy Quran, “Say, nothing will befall us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our master, and in Allah let all the faithful put their trust”.[6]
references
- (The Qur’an; 64:4)
- (The Qur’an; 31:34)
- (The Qur’an; 31:34)
- (The Qur’an; 31:34)
- (The Qur’an; 31:34)
- (The Qur’an; 9:51)
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