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ZAKAT & SADQAT {CHARITY} Give away in the way of God with the sole motive of winning the favor
of God. Do not waste your virtuous deed by keeping in view some ulterior
purpose or motive. Do not expect the beneficiaries of your deed to
offer thanks to your or acknowledge your favor or testify to your
magnanimity. The true believers anticipate reward for their deeds
from God only. The Holy Qur'an expresses the sentiments of the true
believers in these words : Innama nut'imukum liwajhillahi la nuridu minkum jazaan wa la shakura.
(76 : 9) Avoid display, ostentation and showing off. Hypocrisy destroys the virtue of the best of deeds. Pay Zakat openly. so that others may also be induced to perform their duty. However, offer other Sadaqat (charitable acts) secretly so as promote feelings of deep sincerity in your heart. Deeds performed with true sincerity are of great value in the eyes of God. On the Day of Judgment in the terrible field where there will be no shade, God shall keep under the shadow of heaven that man who spends in the way of God in such extreme secrecy that left hand does not know what the right hand has spent.; ( Bukhari) After expending in the way of God avoid reminding the beneficiaries of the favors you have done to them nor cause them any distress. To administer shocks to the self-respect of the indigent and poor, to injure their feelings by reminding them of favors done to them and to expect that they should acknowledge their obligation to you, that they should always humbly bow to you and regard you as their superiors----such sentiments when you have given away charity in the way of God, are wicked and despicable. The heart of the true believers should be free of such notions. God ordains: yaayyuhalladh'na amanu la tubtilu sadaqatikum bilmanni wal adha kalladhi
yunfiqu malahu riaannaso. Do not take pride or assume an air of arrogance after expending in the way of God. Do not advertise your magnanimity among the people. You should rather tremble at the thought whether your sacrifice has been accepted by God or not . God ordains : Walladhina yutuna ma atau qulubuhum wajilatun annahuim ila rabbihim
raji'un. Show tenderness to the poor and destitute. Do not rebuke them, nor try to rule over them nor show off your superiority over them. In case you have noting to give to supplicant, excuse yourself with extreme humility and politeness, so that he may depart silently invoking blessings upon you even without receiving anything from you. The Holy Qur'an says
And God also ordains:
Spend in the way of God liberally with eagerness. Do not spend with a stingy or grudging heart, nor consider it an oppressive fine. Only those people deserve grace and success who forswear miserliness, narrow-mindedness and stinginess. Spend only 'Halal' (earned by righteous means) goods in the way of God. God accepts only those goods which are pure and have been earned through righteous means. How can a believer who is eager to spend in the way of God bear that his lawfully earned goods should be mixed with illicit gains? God ordains
Yaayyuhallaghina amanu anifqu min tayyibati ma kasabtum. Give away the best goods in the way of God. God ordains
Goods given away as Sadaqa ( Charity) are being accumulated for the benefit of eternal life in the Hereafter. How can a believer bear the thought of defective goods for his everlasting life. If you are liable to pay the Zakat (poor-due), do not delay the payment. Pay it at once after careful accumulated so that, God forbid, nothing remains due in your account. Pay the Zakat (poor-due) under a collective system. Where Muslim governments do not exist, the Muslim citizens can form parties and create a Baitul Mal for the receipt and expenditure of Zakat(poor-due) |
