Charity

Best of less 04_1 by DR.BILAL PHILPS

Opening of the live session:

الحمد لله ربّ العالمينوالصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى الكريم وعلى

لهوصحبهوستين سنة إلى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

All praises due to Allah, and Allah’s peace and blessings on the last messenger Muhammad  ; and all those who followed the path of righteousness on till the last day.

Introduction of the session:

We are going to look at another set of hadiths which address another important element of Islam and that is the element of charity as what the Prophet Muhammad  said regarding the charity or it being or the aspect of it in the best.

We all know charity something that should be part of Muslim character and that is what the zakat breed on that is what it should be learnt from it. Of course, Zakat is obligatory, someone who doesn’t do it is a sin and someone who does it is being rewarded. But, charity which is outside Zakat and that is Sadaqat. That is something which is the higher goal of Zakat whereas without any pressure on you, you go ahead and give. This is when the character of generosity comes out.

Charity through giving out the surplus wealth:

It is manifest now in our life. Prophet Muhammad  narrated by Hakim Ibn Izzam “The best charity that is given when one has surplus wealth and the upper hand is better than lower hand. But, by giving charity, in your dependence”.

So, the best charity is one has surplus wealth. Why is that and why is it the best when one has surplus wealth?

When you have surplus wealth it means that you are wealthy. You have wealth that you have not used it and you can use it as per your wish. Why is it better to give wealth when you have surplus wealth? It is to purify your wealth that is not why it is better. So, when you have the extra wealth, where is the hardship? Is it because it is extra so you can give it easily without hurting you? That’s make it better is it? It is said when one has the surplus wealth indicating that one does not have the surplus wealth, it does not mean that the second category (not have surplus wealth) is better. The one with surplus wealth is better.

The wealth when is suggested with power then it is corruptive. So, when one person give wealth when they are wealthy, then it is indicative of them being uncorrupted, this is also called as the escape corruption. This is something of the idea of people who were having wealth. Most people when they have wealth, they will become corrupted. They will become corrupted in the perspective of that they become greedy. The greediest people are the wealthy. This is the characteristics of the additional wealth. It makes the person to just have more because the more you have, the more you want. The grasses are always green on the other side.

Prophet Muhammad  has said “If you give the Adam عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ kids, a valley of gold, he will want another one”. This is the nature. There will be greediness come with it.

So, by giving at the time when you are greedy, then it is greater challenge in terms of the effort. In generally speaking, we all know the greater the effort, the greater the reward. So, you have to overcome the extra effort to overcome your greed and this is time where Prophet Muhammad  said is the best.

Charity through giving out the surplus wealth- Another supporting hadith:

And, Prophet Muhammad  also said that upper hand is better than lower hand. What is understood from the general Muslim scholarship is that the one is giving is better than the one is receiving.

It is because begging in Islam is haram unless you are actually in the real circumstances of need. Otherwise, begging is forbidden and you are not supposed to beg. Some of course attribute their thoughts and actions which we call as Sufism; they say that what is meant my upper hand is the one who is taking and the lower hand is the one giving. And, of course this is nonsense. So, they justify the begging and you will find mystics begging.

Prophet Muhammad  said began your charity with dependence on your own. As, I said, charity begins at home so if you have dependence at home who are needy and you are giving charity out, this is not right. Prophet Muhammad  also has said, this is reference to the given, one will give when he has surplus wealth.

Who is the best recipient to give charity?

Then, the giving in that circumstance is better. In terms of recipient, when is the best to give to the recipient.

Prophet Muhammad  has said “the best charity is the one given to resentful relative”.

It is to relative who does not like you and they resent, backbite you. If you have to give charity to this person, it is tough so it is told by Prophet Muhammad  that it is the best. So, those relatives are needy but they are proud, loud mouth. And, they are thankless even if you give them the charity by giving reasons that “You know what this is what my grandfather gave to you”.

But, you give it to them anyway. so by doing this, it helps us to overcome our pride, because what can stop us from helping them, it will be our pride. The reason is that when somebody is insulting you, it will hurt your pride. And, this is what you do not want to get. So, if you to overcome your pride, you should be humble so that you can defeat your enemy (pride). You have to humble yourselves.

And, remember as Prophet Muhammad  saying that “Whoever humbles themselves to other human beings for the sake of Allah, Allah will raise him or her”. So, let’s keep that ahead and focus.

Another best circumstance to give charity:

But there also another circumstance, Prophet Muhammad  also has said in another narration “The best charity given with great difficulty with one who has destitute”.

So, this might be conflict to the previous one, Prophet Muhammad  said The best charity that is given when one has surplus wealth and the upper hand is better than lower hand. But, by giving charity, in your dependence”.

This seems contrary but the common element involves is the hardship that is being involved. The first one is the one who has wealth but not all of us have wealth. So, the second one is for whose charity that is being given when you are in greatest need. So, at one case, you are overcoming the greed while in another hand you are overcoming the need.

So, they are two extremes in the societies, one who has destitute and another one is well off. Those well off will be greedy and they do not want to share their wealth while most of society is the needy. So giving at the time when you are needy, it is also the best. This is because Allah سبحانه و تعالى has put different situations for different people so that they can handle to their own ability.

We also know in another hadith which addresses the giver, where Prophet Muhammad  has “The best charity is when you are healthy and covetous”. When you are hoping for more wealth and fearing poverty. It is the same issue as the hadith which address to the one who is well off, greedy. So, this strengthens the previous hadith. Due to the greediness and stinginess we will have at that time, giving charity is the best at that time.

What is the best element to give as charity:

Prophet Muhammad  also has said that the best charity is offering water to the public. People might say that Prophet Muhammad  has identified it for something desert countries and places where water is priceless. So, when you have to give, and dig well. One of the companions who name is Saad “O messenger of Allah, Umm Saad has passed away so what is the best charity for that. Then, Prophet Muhammad  said dig a well. So, then Saad dig a well and said this for Umm Saad.

One may say that this is time of change. So, what one may say is that what the Prophet Muhammad  said is no longer relevant and water is not the best form of charity.

In reality , according to the UN, over 1 billion have difficulity getting fresh water. So, fresh water remains as need for huge segment despite the technologies.1/5th and 1/6th of human population needs fresh water. This is especially in our times where water is polluted because the ocean is polluted.

The water is still viable , isn’t? We all know that half a litre of coke is cheaper than half a liter of mineral water. This is still the reality in our times.

But, of course, there other factors where it is deliberately made cheaper. It is to produce coke and think about it, you have to process etc whereby water is just water. So, why is it more expensive because they want you to drink coke despite the addiction campaign. So, the coke is cheaper than water.How many people are drinking water , children are just drinking coke. And, in the end, it is still harmful. They say that 1 can of coke , contains 12 teaspoons of white sugar.This is destructive.

So the issue of providing water is still charity even in our times. For example, to get a filter and produce a clean water , where you made that to the society because they say that even the water from the pipe is drinkable while others say it is not drinkable and harmful . So, be provide that good fresh clean water for those in need, it still remains a huge benefit for the society. And, the statement Prophet Muhammad  is still relevant.    

The best charity given for the dead person:

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya has said that, what is the best charity given for the dead person ?. It is because for the case of Saad he gave , he dug well for his mother. It is the charity that is most beneficial to the person. It can be freeing the slave, fasting or other forms of charity. And, the best form of charity it is fulfils the need of the receiver, consistently and continuously called as the Sadaqa Jariya. So, in terms of charity in general, of course, Prophet Muhammad  has called us to be charitable.

Charity for the society:

The charity that he said to be given from our own wealth it is something which is necessary to benefit the society as whole. The society will always have a segment that is suffering, why during the time of Umar ibn Al-Khattāb they cannot find anyone who can give Sadaqah even the paying of Zakaat took care of the society. So, this charity, the obligatory charity can make a big difference to the Muslim world today.

Benefits of the charity:

However, in general, there are varieties of benefits from charity which is Quran and Sunnah that has mentioned us to be aware of.

First and foremost it is the salvation from the hell; Prophet Muhammad  has said “Save yourself from hellfire even it is giving you only half a date in charity”.

Normally, one who says how is giving a half a date will save you from hellfire. It is talking about little to give and to go, give anyway.

Aisha has said that there were woman with two daughters came hungry, and so Aisha gave her what she had, which is three dates. Then, the woman gave the two dates to her two daughters, and before she could put another one more date into her mouth, her daughters have already consumed their dates. They were looking at the mother for more and at that point instead of she being saying “I am hungry too, let me eat the dates”, she divided the dates into half and give it to her children. Aisha was amazed by the woman’s charity. In her time of her need (woman), she gave it to her children.

So, Aisha told this to Prophet Muhammad  about it, and he said “Allah has save her from the hellfire because of it”.

In another narration there is he said “Allah has granted her paradise for because of it”.

So, this is the practical example of date saving her from hell. It is because of the fear of Allah and her love to her daughters, charitable nature that is being developed. She was declared by Prophet Muhammad  to be woman of paradise because of that nature.

Charity is a cure for depression:

And, Allahسبحانه و تعالى has provided for us through charity a cure for depression. A depression is the most injury/disease or harmful/suffering that people go through in the society. They complain that is their wives, children etc and they are so many drugs available for that. The drugs which will basically make you unconscious and it solve the depression when you are in drugs. After, the drug’s effects are gone, the depression will start again.

But, Allahسبحانه و تعالى has put in charity a cure for the depression, he said in Surah Baqarah verse 274,

الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا

خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Those who spend their wealth [in Allah’s way] by night and by day, secretly and publicly - they will have their reward with their Lord. And no fears will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve. [2:274]

This is what is depression is all about, isn’t. People of depression are suffering from fear and grieve. They have lost someone, they grieve. Or, they are so fearful of what has happened to them. They lost their job and then they think “How am I going to?”. If we are looking at the suicidal cases in North Africa, over 70% of them are doing it because of depression.  

So, this is the solution. The modern psychologists are using this principle of giving whereby go and doing good to correct or recover from depression. But, of course charity has to be given sincerely.

Charity-overcome the greed:

This is what we are talking about the one who is wealthy and giving it by overcoming the greed. And, the one who is needy, giving it overcoming the need. This is sincerity and when we give it, we will give it the best. When we sacrifice an animal on Eid Ul Adha,

Prophet Muhammad  has said “Don’t take the animal that has lost one horn”. Or the teeth have fallen out, and it is sick but people might say that it is cheaper. But, don’t use that when you are sacrificing for Allah and giving to the needy. You have to take good healthy animal. It is in good stage of development and that is what you do the sake of Allah. And, that is real charity.

That is why Allahسبحانه و تعالى in Surah Al-Imran verse 92

لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنْفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ ۚ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ

Those who spend their wealth [in Allah’s way] by night and by day, secretly and publicly - they will have their reward with their Lord. And no fears will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.

It is because you are giving from what you love. It is giving your surplus that you don’t even use or care about. An example can be that you will like shoes, so you will have 10 pairs of shoes in your closet. But you will not wear them because it is not in the trend now. It is same for clothes. This is haram to keep those clothes and shoes because they are people who has the need. It should be given away in order to remove your sins. By keeping extra shoes, clothes, you are also pilling up extra sin. The reason is that you don’t even use it. This is the true charity.

Charity is what you give from what you love. That is when you are really giving charity. The benefits of charity, is that when you give, Allah will give you. This is the promise. Prophet Muhammad  quoting Allah that “O Son Of Adam, spend in the charity and I will spend on you”. Prophet Muhammad  said to give charity and do not give it reluctantly. So, Allah will only give you little. And, do not withhold any money because Allah will also withhold the money.

Even, if you make the intention to give, you should give it to clear heart and freewill. It is done by your own struggle and fight. If, you don’t do it, then Allah will deny you in your life and this is the statement of Prophet Muhammad.

But, what happens to us is that when we are talking about giving, we could not imagine it because we are giving. Prophet Muhammad  has said “charity does not decrease your wealth”.

But, we will look at the wealth, by giving at the bank amount and how it has decreased in the amount. Yes, the amount has decreased in the bank but it has increased to Allah. We will just look at it in the materialistic perspective and just look at the loss. This is the same rational that drive us to get mortgage and we get the fatwa of getting mortgage. The reason is that giving rent for one year, at the end of the year then what you have to show it? So, by have mortgage, you will have more profit so is it better?

No, it is not better. It is because the money which you pay in rent, it is blessed by Allah, as Allah has put barakah in it. And, what happens is that during the day of Judgment, you will be receiving pile of good deeds and you will wondering where is it coming from?   But for the one paid in mortgage, it is pile of evil, and you will be wondering where is it coming from? What I do, I did not do that? But yes, you did. You paid the mortgage. Then, you will say but the sheikh offered the fatwa.

What is righteousness?

When a man came to Prophet Muhammad  and asked what is righteousness? He said ask your heart. You know it in your heart and you have read it so many times. Allah says he curses the riba. But, you will be looking at the sheikh who says it is okay. So, you found one but in your hear you know that it is not right. So, the bottom line is that, we look at things in a materialistic perspective and this is where, we place ourselves in such a great danger. It is because of we are not thinking in terms of akhira, our goal is supposed to be paradise. Our goal should be paradise but we are living as if our goal is dunya.

Prophet Muhammad  has said “if one gives one date, honestly from his own money, and (Allah only accepts the honest money), Allah will take it in his right hand and enlarges the reward for that person.” So much so that it becomes the size of the mountain. This is the product.

Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad  has said regarding the charity in terms of benefit “charity will extinguishes sins like a water extinguished fire”. Charity will obliterate sins and purify us. It also purifies us from the displeasure of Allah. Prophet Muhammad  has also said that it will extinguish the displeasure of Allah, and blocks hundred calamities. So, there are many benefits that can come from charity. And, that is why in Islam, as one of the religion itself. Muslims has to oblige to do charity if they have needs to give in charity. If, you don’t have the means and we know that zakat is compulsory, it doesn’t mean you don’t give. When you have the needs but you still give, they reward will be far greater than those who are able to give it. So, in this Muslim and human society, it benefits from the wealth which is ultimately from Allah. It is because that is the origin that we have to come in our mind.

In Surat Al-Munāfiqūn verse 10

وَأَنْفِقُوا مِنْ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنِي

إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُنْ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

Spend from what I have provided from you before death comes to one of you. And, he says “my lord, only if you can delay my death for short time, we will give charity and be among the righteousness”.

The warning is that to give before it is too late. It is because of when death comes, it does not matter on what you give as you will be too late to be rewarded. But note that Allah says, “Spend from what I have provided from you”, Allah stresses here, the importance of the origin of the wealth. So, where is it come from? Is it from our efforts like on what we all did and all our hard work? Or, is it ultimately from Allah, Allah has given in to us, and the poor, needy has the right for it. And, that is why we should share it with them. And, this is the bottom line. It is ultimately from Allah and that’s what we need to recognise. That will let us become charitable and know that wealth is from Allah. We utilize it and spend it, when we die, we will leave it. We can’t take the wealth with us. We came into this world without it and we will this world without it. So, it is from Allah. So, we have to use it to benefit ourselves from the fullest extent, in both this life and next life. Or, we can benefit us to the limited extent, where we will take pleasure from it in this life and don’t receive any benefit from the next.

So, then charity through zakat into voluntary charity have been highly emphasized in Islam. Prophet Muhammad  guided us in terms of the best place, best times ,best forms and best people to give it , he has given us all that guidance in regard to it so that In Shaa Allah, we would live charitable lives that is pleasing to Allahسبحانه و تعالى through high moral characteristics of generosity.

Q & A

1. If you have older brother or sister who disobeys their parents and they do everything that is haram. So, what you should do other than making dua?

Make more dua with sincerity being fall into good character on how and why. It is sincerity being sincere of course; it is part of good character. The reason is that anything we do, which have not done sincerely, it is not truly a good character. People may have judge it externally as the good character, but Allah doesn’t reward the good character without sincerity.

2. How prayer prevents negative speech?

As I explained earlier, because during the prayers, we are obliged on what Allah has prescribed for us to speak. The reason is that everything we speak in the prayers is good. Then, it is training for us to be conscious of what we are saying outside the prayers. It is by making whatever we say that is pleasing to Allahسبحانه و تعالى in the prayer also. If we consider the prayer as said earlier, it develops god consciousness. One will be aware that Allah is seeing what we do. Again, that will make careful on what we are saying. It should prevent us from saying that is displeasing to Allahسبحانه و تعالى.

3. If working indirectly to the bank as a security guard in the bank. Is it allowed

You know, you are not involved in the money that is going in like paying or receiving etc. But, you are guarding the institution. What do you think if you are the guard for a shop that sell alcohol? Will you accept it ? (The one who asked said no)

So, why you do not want it, you are not selling the alcohol, exporting it or drinking it. But, that is institution itself is haram. If you work to that institution then it will make your money haram. By, you are working for that institution that makes it haram. If you are working in the IT Company, and you are doing variety of developing programmes and items of benefits. Now, this benefit may be used for some haram things so are you accountable for it? For this case, the answer is no, if the company has the particular project for bank and it is solely for bank itself, 100%.Can you work for that project ? No, you have to excuse yourself by telling them that my religious beliefs do not allow me to do this product. Now, the company does a project one or two, does it make your salary haram. The answer is no, because that is not primary projects. It is like when you work in hotel, the hotel may have Bar. We know that Bar is haram. Does it mean it is haram to work there? No, you can work there because the primarily hotel is halal; it is place where people can stay when they are travelling. It is a halal institution. If, they have introduced a haram element, then it is haram to work in that Bar. And, then you need to be able to calculate and know on the figures of where the earning is coming from. If they say 2% of the income comes from the Bar, then from your salary, you take off and get rid of. And, don’t take benefit from it. It is because that 2% is haram

4. A particular individual with the name of Tahir Kadri has shared a fatwa that it is okay to buy house in mortgage in North America. I

If he had also said, it is also okay to go bank, take loans and pay interest. It is also okay if you are in non-Muslim country, give loans and collect interests. If he had said, since in North America alcohol is halal, it is okay to drink also. What do you think? Will you listen to him? You understand the principles here. When just simply because one say it is haram, we don’t say it is okay if Sheik Tahir Kadri said okay, so it should be okay. No, Allah is going to ask you on the Day of Judgment why you drank alcohol. And will you say it is because Sheikh Tahir Kadri said it? Do you think Allah will accept that excuse? Never. When Allah has said in the Quran that he has cursed the interest and you know that mortgage is based on the interest, know that it is cursed. So, the only way, he also said forbid the pork but he said unless you are forced by necessity. How can you force by necessity to eat the pig? If the local inhabitants come with the gun to your house and say that you have to eat the pig. No, they are not coming like this. So, how was it that you are going to be forced by necessity to eat pig? It is only if you are starving to death. If you are travelling in the ship, if the ship crashes, and land on the shore. And, at the place there is no food available, and there is only pig to eat. At that time, you can eat. However, they are rules that should be followed such as that you should only eat the portion that can make you alive. You don’t just say since we have pigs, we can have big feast now. No, you only take that is necessary. So, the principle in Shariah is that we are allowed to take haram when our lives are threatened but that is conditional that the haram we do, it doesn’t threaten other people lives. Do you understand? They are some conditions to be followed It is because you are starving to death, that you can now do haram. But, there are conditions to be followed. Example: when you are doing these, you are not harming anyone. So, when you are starving to death then you can eat the pork.

When you don’t buy a house in mortgage here, you will be left outside in the winders of 2 or 5 degrees, you and your will die. Then, it is yes, and then you can get the mortgage because without the house, you will die. Is that the case? No, that it is not the case. You can rent and you have the option. So long you have the option, and then no one can make it halal for you to buy a house in the mortgage. It is no matter what kind of reasoning they bring into it. Then, know that it is false because you are not in the situation of dire necessity known as the ضرورة . It is about life and death, or if you don’t do it, they will cut your foot. If you are not in that state, then no matter what they say doesn’t matter. Prophet Muhammad  has said in one hadith that sin is what remains in your heart. The one which you are uncomfortable with and no matter what fatwas are made here and there, the one you feel in the heart. And, you have read those verses.