CHARITY: A Great Pillar of Islam

Charity in Islam could translate to Sadaqa or Zakat, with the latter being compulsory and the
former voluntary. Giving Charity (Zakat) is one of the five Pillars of Islam which means to be a Muslim requires giving charity. It is very much worthy to note that Islam is the only faith that makes giving charity a prerequisite for belief meaning, it does not matter if one is a name sake of the Prophet (SAW) or an Arab who even lives inside the Ka’abah; if the person deliberately does not give charity (Zakat) he/she is not a Muslim. 

During the reign of Abu Bakr as Caliph, some members of the confederation declared that they would no longer give Zakat since the Prophet was no more. Abu Bakr Siddique warned them telling them failure to give Zakat is tantamount to failure to observe salah (as both are Pillars of Islam). They were given time to return to sanity and pay their Zakats but they remained recalcitrant. They were declared ‘apostates’ and were fought in what will today be called ‘The apostate wars’. This short narration is just to tell us the high status which Islam has given to given charity. 

With the widening gap between the world's rich and poor, mankind needs to be reminded of the virue of giving charity. Let’s now begin to look at direct statements of ALLAH and inspiring examples from the life of the Prophet and his companions as regards charity.

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      Muslims Encourage One Another To Give Charity

Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense?

For that is the one who drives away the orphan

And does not encourage the feeding of the poor.

So woe to those who pray

[But] who are heedless of their prayer -

Those who make show [of their deeds]

And withhold [simple] assistance. Suratul Ma’un 107

Lessons:

(a) From the first three ayat of this surah we see that ALLAH likened one who drives away orphans and the needy to disbelievers. ‘Recompense’ as used in the aya is referring to the Day of Judgment. Belief in the Day of Judgment is an Article of Faith which must be fulfilled by anyone who wants to be identified as a Muslim. This shows how dangerous it is to refuse to be charitable.

(b)It also shows us that even if we do not have, we should encourage those who have to give.

FACTORS DETERRING PEOPLE FROM BEING CHARITABLE

·         Stinginess

And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah , [saying], "If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and we will surely be among the righteous."                                                                                                                                            But when he gave them from His bounty, they were stingy with it and turned away while they refused. Suratul Tawba (9:75-77)

Lesson: ALLAH tests his servants in different ways. If you are currently in affluence, do not let shaytan lure you to stinginess. The Prophet (SAW) said concerning stinginess:

·         Materialism

Not upon you, [O Muhammad], is [responsibility for] their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills. And whatever good you [believers] spend is for yourselves, and you do not spend except seeking the countenance of Allah . And whatever you spend of good - it will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged. Suratul Baqarah (2:272)

Lesson: Some people are of the belief that they do ALLAH a favour by being charitable too fable-minded to see that ALLAH is not in need of man but man is in need of ALLAH. ALLAH hints on this in the Qur’an.

HOW TO GIVE CHARITY

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         Spend From The Good And Halal Portion Of Your Wealth

O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned and from that which We have produced for you from the earth. And do not aim toward the defective therefrom, spending [from that] while you would not take it [yourself] except with closed eyes. And know that Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy. Suratul Baqarah (2:267)

Lesson: Recognize the superiority of ALLAH over what you give. If this is done, your conscience will move you to do the right thing. And again, ALLAH is not in need of what you give.

·         Charity Begins At Home

To explain this properly, it will be enough to refer to the incident involving Abdullah bin Mas’ud and his wife. Zainab Ath-Thaqafiyah (ra) the wife of `Abdullah bin Mas`ud (ra) reported: When Messenger of Allah (SAW) told the women that they should give Sadaqah (charity), even if it should be some of their jewellery, I returned to `Abdullah bin Mas`ud and said, "You are a man who does not possess much, and Messenger of Allah (SAW) has commanded us to give Sadaqah. So go and ask him if giving to you will serve the purpose; otherwise, I shall give it to someone else.'' He told me that it would be best I went myself. I went and found a woman of the Ansar at the door of Messenger of Allah (SAW), waiting to ask a similar question as mine. The Prophet (SAW) was endowed with dignity, and so we could not go in. When Bilal (ra) came out to us, we said to him: "Go to Messenger of Allah (SAW) and tell him that there are two women at the door who have come to ask him whether it will serve them to give Sadaqah to their husbands and to orphans who are in their charge, but do not tell him who we are". Bilal (ra) went in and asked him, and Messenger of Allah (SAW) asked him who the women were. When he told him that they were a woman of the Ansar and Zainab, he asked him which Zainab it was, and when he was told it was the wife of `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, he (SAW) said, "They will have a double reward, one for maintaining the ties of kinship and another for Sadaqah".

Lesson: This teaches us that we should not be among those who spend so much outside while those closest to us are living in deprivation. This should however not be seen as a yardstick to be among those who simply lock their wealth within their families as the Prophet was referring to the needy within the family only (not the buoyant ones).

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       Do Not Insult People Who Receive Charity From You

Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is Free of need and Forbearing.

O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like that of a [large] smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable [to keep] anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. Suratul Baqarah (2:263-264)

 

Lesson:

(a) ‘Injury’ as used in aya 263 refers to denting the image of the recipient. Some people are fond of assisting people only so that they could used it as something to brag over or as a tool of blackmail, this is clearly haram.

(b) Reminding people of your charitable deeds puts you at a loss. You lose your wealth and you lose your reward.

·         Charity Is Not For Rich People

[Charity is] for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allah , unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at all]. And whatever you spend of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it. Suratul Baqarah (2:273)

Lesson: It is a normal thing in Nigeria and many parts of the world to visit the houses of politicians and people of high status only to meet loads of goodies that have been taken to them as gifts while those who need it the most, the beggars, are on the street. Some devout brothers and sisters also make this mistake. Brothers and sisters are fond of inviting friends of theirs (who have more than enough at home) to wine and dine with them but they never remember the needy who are starving on the streets. Abdullah bin Umar was reported to get very harsh with his children whenever they brought their friends from affluent homes to his house to eat. He will say to them, “Why do you bring the children of the rich to and eat my food? Did you not see the children of the poor to invite?” Record has it that Abdullah bin Umar spent 40 years without ever eating his food alone. Whenever his food was served to him, he would keep it aside, go out into the streets to look for a needy person and he would bring this person into his house to eat with him. 40 YEARS.

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       Do Not Wait Till You Are Asked

The concluding part of (2:273) shows us that we should not wait to be asked before we give charity or render help. The moment we observe that someone is in need, we should offer to help.

·         Do Not Expect Return For Your Charities

And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive,

[Saying], "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah . We wish not from you reward or gratitude. Suratul Insan (76:8-9)

 

Lesson: Those people who give gifts to people of status, often do it in order to get something in return in future. This aya shows us that it is wrong to give charity with such an intension. History has it that Fatima (RA) the daughter of the Prophet didn’t say ‘amin’ whenever someone prayed for her for charity she gave. The reason is clear; she gave charity only to please ALLAH and nothing more.

·         Spending In Public Is Also Encouraged

[O Muhammad], tell My servants who have believed to establish prayer and spend from what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, before a Day comes in which there will be no exchange, nor any friendships. Suratul Ibrahim (14:31)

Lesson: Spending publicly is also encouraged even though giving secretly is better as other verses show. Spending publicly sometimes encourages people especially the stingy ones to give.

WHY WE SHOULD GIVE CHARITY

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       Giving Charity Takes Away Sins

If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds [thereby]. And Allah , with what you do, is [fully] Acquainted. Suratul Baqarah (2:271)

Lesson: Having your sins taken away from you (wiped off your slate) is far better than saving a few change.

·         ALLAH Compensates Charity

Indeed, the men who practice charity and the women who practice charity and [they who] have loaned Allah a goodly loan - it will be multiplied for them, and they will have a noble reward. Suratul Hadeed (57:18)

·         People Will Regret Not Being Charitable

And spend [in the way of Allah ] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, "My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous." Suratul Munafiqun (63:10)

Lesson: On the Day of Judgment, there will be so many regrets, among being the one mentioned in the above aya. Give charity while you still have the chance, before the Day it will be too late.

CONCLUSION

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       Opportunities To Be Charitable

We have certainly created man into hardship.

Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."

Does he think that no one has seen him?

Have We not made for him two eyes?

And a tongue and two lips?

And have shown him the two ways?

But he has not broken through the difficult pass.

And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?

It is the freeing of a slave

Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

An orphan of near relationship

Or a needy person in misery. Suratul Balad (90:4-16)

 

Lesson: Contrary to what some miscreants want us to believe, freeing of slaves is a charitable act in Islam; not capturing slaves. There last three ayat are self-explanatory and note-worthy.