بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
While we are preparing to welcome the noble month of Ramadhan, don't forget those who have been hungry most of their lives. If each and everyone of us Muslims who owe zakat pay their zakat, we would see wonders. We would reduce the world hunger, if not end it altogether, inshaAllah.
Zakat is obligatory when a certain amount of money, called the nisab is reached or exceeded. If you reached the nisab and don't pay zakat, you are taking the right of the poor, and this is sinful.
In the Qur'an, Allah conjoins paying zakat with establishing prayer to show the importance of zakat in our religion.
But many people fall short in spending their wealth for the poor.
Whatever you give is not going to decrease your wealth and it is not going to make you poor. In fact, it will increase it and purify your remaining wealth. This may not make sense if you based it on math. But we are not talking about math, we are talking about Allah. He does whatever He wills and He gives to whoever He pleases.
This obligation, like all other religious obligations, is not to burden us but to help us enter Paradise. If Allah does not make zakat obligatory, people will not give charity because of their great love for money as Allah says in the Qur'an,
There is also a tremendous reward in this life for those who spend their wealth for the sake of Allah. Allah says,
Allah command us to love only Him. Spending our wealth is a gauge to measure our love for Him. The heart of the believer is only for Allah. Spending is the test for that. Allah doesn't need us. He is Allah, the One Who has Power over all things. We are in complete need of Allah in this life and the next. You don't love anything except you are a slave of it and Allah does not want you to be a slave of anything except Him. To love Allah is for our own good. Everything of this world comes and goes, and we will eventually leave this world too.
Whatever you love of this world cannot help you in your grave, or when you are drowned in your own sweat in the Day of Judgment from the intense heat and fear, or when you are crossing the bridge over the Hellfire, or when you are burning in the Hellfire. May Allah save us from His wrath and punishment.
People who spend everything they own really prove their love for Allah. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), the best of the Companions, was an example of this. When he saw someone in trouble, he did his best to help him. If his money could remove suffering, he did not care how much he had to spend. Once he gave away thirty-five dirhams out of his total fortune of forty thousand. He was an example of the highest level of the believers but most of us are not able to do this. But we can try to shoot for the middle level believer, which is paying zakat due and give extra charity voluntarily. Because the general level of faith has decreased, this is a lofty goal.
Classically, those who only pay their zakat is considered a weak believer. Give voluntary charity on top of the zakat even if it is little just to get out of this level and get to the middle level.
Choose the best recipients for your charity. One of the best recipients are students of sacred knowledge, scholars and righteous people.
Some of the salaf used to say:
When you give, don't give grudgingly and don't look down upon the recipient or feel that you are better than him. Give cheerfully and rejoice for this is a sign of Allah's acceptance of the good deed. Thank the people who accepted your charity because they have done you a huge favor by enabling you to fulfill your obligation with Allah and helping you to unlock a gate to Paradise.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
May Allah increase us in spending for His sake. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
While we are preparing to welcome the noble month of Ramadhan, don't forget those who have been hungry most of their lives. If each and everyone of us Muslims who owe zakat pay their zakat, we would see wonders. We would reduce the world hunger, if not end it altogether, inshaAllah.
Zakat is obligatory when a certain amount of money, called the nisab is reached or exceeded. If you reached the nisab and don't pay zakat, you are taking the right of the poor, and this is sinful.
In the Qur'an, Allah conjoins paying zakat with establishing prayer to show the importance of zakat in our religion.
وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱرْكَعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلرَّٰكِعِينَ ﴿٤٣(43) [Qur'an 2:43]
And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].
But many people fall short in spending their wealth for the poor.
Whatever you give is not going to decrease your wealth and it is not going to make you poor. In fact, it will increase it and purify your remaining wealth. This may not make sense if you based it on math. But we are not talking about math, we are talking about Allah. He does whatever He wills and He gives to whoever He pleases.
إِنَّ ٱلْمُصَّدِّقِينَ وَٱلْمُصَّدِّقَـٰتِ وَأَقْرَضُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَـٰعَفُ لَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿١٨[Qur'an Al-Hadid 57:18]
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. (18)
This obligation, like all other religious obligations, is not to burden us but to help us enter Paradise. If Allah does not make zakat obligatory, people will not give charity because of their great love for money as Allah says in the Qur'an,
وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلْمَالَ حُبًّا جَمًّا[Qur'an al-Fajr 89:20]
And you love wealth with immense love. (20)
There is also a tremendous reward in this life for those who spend their wealth for the sake of Allah. Allah says,
مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّـهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنۢبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِى كُلِّ سُنۢبُلَةٍ مِّا۟ئَةُ حَبَّةٍ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ يُضَـٰعِفُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ[Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:261]
The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies [His reward] for whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
Allah command us to love only Him. Spending our wealth is a gauge to measure our love for Him. The heart of the believer is only for Allah. Spending is the test for that. Allah doesn't need us. He is Allah, the One Who has Power over all things. We are in complete need of Allah in this life and the next. You don't love anything except you are a slave of it and Allah does not want you to be a slave of anything except Him. To love Allah is for our own good. Everything of this world comes and goes, and we will eventually leave this world too.
Whatever you love of this world cannot help you in your grave, or when you are drowned in your own sweat in the Day of Judgment from the intense heat and fear, or when you are crossing the bridge over the Hellfire, or when you are burning in the Hellfire. May Allah save us from His wrath and punishment.
People who spend everything they own really prove their love for Allah. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), the best of the Companions, was an example of this. When he saw someone in trouble, he did his best to help him. If his money could remove suffering, he did not care how much he had to spend. Once he gave away thirty-five dirhams out of his total fortune of forty thousand. He was an example of the highest level of the believers but most of us are not able to do this. But we can try to shoot for the middle level believer, which is paying zakat due and give extra charity voluntarily. Because the general level of faith has decreased, this is a lofty goal.
Classically, those who only pay their zakat is considered a weak believer. Give voluntary charity on top of the zakat even if it is little just to get out of this level and get to the middle level.
Choose the best recipients for your charity. One of the best recipients are students of sacred knowledge, scholars and righteous people.
Some of the salaf used to say:
Do not eat but the food of the pious and let none eat your food but the pious.
When you give, don't give grudgingly and don't look down upon the recipient or feel that you are better than him. Give cheerfully and rejoice for this is a sign of Allah's acceptance of the good deed. Thank the people who accepted your charity because they have done you a huge favor by enabling you to fulfill your obligation with Allah and helping you to unlock a gate to Paradise.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
'O Allah, grant me life as a poor man, cause me to die as a poor man and resurrect me in the company of the poor.' His wife asked him why he said that, and he replied: 'Because (the poor) will enter Paradise (before) the rich. Do not turn away a poor man even if all you can give is half a date. If you love the poor and bring them near you Allah will bring you near Him on the Day of Resurrection.'[Tirmidhi]
May Allah increase us in spending for His sake. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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