In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The standard on which our life is judged in Islam is not the materialistic or the economic standard alone but one based on faith, feeling, and sensitivity, which form the core of human relations.
Charity is a necessary part of our every day life. Charity is giving and it is not limited to tangible things like money and services, but also has a vast meaning and covers all forms of virtues. So, all people, whether rich or poor, big or small, strong or weak, male or female, can give charity, and can give everyday.
Our mother Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said that Rasulullah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small.[Bukhari and Muslim]
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
In the morning, charity is due on every joint bone of the body of everyone of you. Every utterance of Allah’s Glorification (i.e., saying Subhan Allah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of His Praise (i.e., saying Al-hamdu lillah) is an act of charity and every utterance of declaration of His Greatness (i.e., saying La ilaha illAllah) is an act of charity; and enjoining M`aruf (good) is an act of charity, and forbidding Munkar (evil) is an act of charity, and two Rak`ah Dhuha prayers which one performs in the forenoon is equal to all this (in reward).[Muslim].
“Charity is due from every joint bone” means that when a person gets up in the morning, it is obligatory for him to thank Allah for having every joint of his intact. Therefore, one must praise and glorify Allah. Since a single invocation of the words mentioned in this Hadith is equivalent to one Sadaqah, one must say these words for 360 times – a number which equals the number of joints in man’s body. Moreover, to enjoin someone to do what is good and dissuade somebody from vice constitutes Sadaqah. However, if one performs two Rak`ah of Duha prayer, it will serve for Sadaqah for all the joints of the body. Thus, this Hadith highlights the merits and importance of Dhuha prayer.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to perform four Rak`ah of Dhuha prayer (at the forenoon) and would add to them whatever Allah wished.[Muslim].
Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with her) reported:
I went to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) on the day of the conquest of Makkah. He was taking a bath at that time. When he finished the bath, he performed eight Rak`ah (of optional) prayers. This was during the Dhuha (forenoon).[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
A smile is also a charity. So begin meeting with someone in your household (maybe your spouse, your parents/grandparents, your children, your brothers/sisters, your roommates) with a smile and give the salutation of peace, assalaamu alaykum (may peace be upon you). You would attain great rewards and blessings from Allah.
No good action is too small. Aisha once gave a beggar a single grape. Someone questioned her regarding her negligible contribution to which she replied, "This is heavier than many small ants!"
Whatever good we do, it should be solely for the sake of Allah. If we are truthful to ourselves, we don't tell people what good we have done.
If you do that, you have to ask yourself, "Did I secretly have some sort of desire for reward or some recognition or affirmation from people?" If you do have the expectation of some sort of reward from other than Allah, this will negate the good that you did. If you sincerely did it for Allah, then you don't need to seek recognition or affirmation from others.
Once you give something to people, you have no connection with the person who you gave to with regard to that thing you gave. You have no right to tell people, "I did this" and "I gave this." It is as if you are telling them "I still have a connection with that person."
When you give to people, material or non-material, such as money, advice, or time, whether it be to your friend or family, you don't want to destroy your good deed by reminding them of what you did for them or give to them. This could hurt their feelings. We should always mind other's feelings. Some people are more emotional than others and depending on their state at that moment, the person might be more sensitive than at other times, but that does not matter. What matters is the other person's feelings. You should ask pardon from that person and excuse yourself for what you did and in the future, stay way from reminding people what you did for them. A believer has subtle insights of how people feel, and we should not be totally blind of this matter.
Sometimes you want to remind your children or your spouse that there are other people in their lives. In this situation, it is permissible to remind them what you have done for them because you are trying to point out the blessings and that they should be thankful to people.
Narrated from Abu Hurayrah: Rasulullah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
He who does not thank people, does not thank Allah.(Ahmad, Tirmidhi)
But be very careful how you say it, when you say it and where you say it, so it does not turn into harm to you and the other person. If you don't administer it properly, it can easily turn into a sick tree with poison.
When you give sadaqah (charity), maintain good manners. Allah loves good character and good manners, and dislikes evil character and bad manners. Give with spirit of love and giving. Don’t give with “your hand on top” as in reminding the taker and yourself that you are giving. Don't just throw it to the hands of the person as this would hurt the person's feelings. Hold the hand or if the person is sitting on the ground, lower yourself and give it to the person.
Remember you give to please Allah Almighty. Show humility and thank Allah and thank the person for accepting your giving.
Our mother Aisha perfumed the charity she was giving because it would go right into Allah's hands and it is more fitting that it smells good. She thanked the poor person for giving her the opportunity to give to Allah.
One should be diligent in giving charity in secret. In this way, it will make sure that the taker can avoid the feeling of embarrassment and you can avoid the feelings of fame or boasting.
إِن تُبْدُوا۟ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِىَ ۖ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا ٱلْفُقَرَآءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ ﴿٢٧١[Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:271]
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. (271)
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
In the day of judgment in which the sun approached 1 mile and people are drowned sweating, seven groups of people will be put in the shadow of arsh (heaven):
1. a just ruler,
2. a youth who grows by worshiping Allah,
3. one who makes dhikr and sheds tear due to fear of Allah where no body exists,
4. one whose heart is connected to the masjids,
5. one who gives sadaqa and conceals it and one whose left hand does not aware of what right hand is,
6. Two people who like each other for the sake of Allah,
7. One who rejects when a beautiful lady invites him, by saying: “I fear from Allah Almighty.”
May Allah enable us to give charity everyday and only for His sake. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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