Charity in Islam

Today is blog action day against poverty so let us look at the importance of charity in Islam and how Allah has made it incumbent upon us all to help those less well off than ourselves. Below are some verses from the Qur’an and some ahadith which illustrate the importance of charity.

Charity in The Qur’an

* In the Qur’an, Allah swt, informs us of the rights of the poor upon the wealth of others:

Verily, the Muttaqûn (pious) will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs (in the Paradise) (15) [...] And in their properties there was the right of the the beggar who asks, and the poor who does not ask the others. (19) Qur’an 51:15-19

* If the poor have a right on on our wealth then it follows quite logically that there should be a punishment for those who are able but do not give:

But as for him who will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: “I wish that I had not been given my Record! (25) [...] (It will be said): “Seize him and fetter him; (30) Then throw him in the blazing Fire. (31) “Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits!” (32) Verily, He used not to believe in Allâh, the Most Great, (33) And urged not on the feeding of Al-Miskin (the poor). (34) Qur’an 69: 25-34

Every person is a pledge for what he has earned, (38) Except those on the Right, (i.e. the pious true believers of Islâmic Monotheism); (39) In Gardens (Paradise) they will ask one another, (40) About Al-Mujrimûn (polytheists, criminals, disbelievers), (And they will say to them): (41) “What has caused you to enter Hell?” (42) They will say: “We were not of those who used to offer the Salât (prayers) (43) “Nor we used to feed Al-Miskin (the poor); (44) Qur’an 74:38-44

* And of course those who freely give, will be rewarded:

Verily, the Abrâr (the pious and righteous) shall drink of a cup (of wine) mixed with (water from a spring in Paradise called) Kâfûr. (5) A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allâh will drink, causing it to gush forth abundantly. (6) They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil will be wide-spreading. (7) And they give food, inspite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin[] (the poor), the orphan, and the captive, (8) (Saying): “We feed you seeking Allâh’s Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you. (9) Qur’an 76:5-8

* The sanctity of the human life:

Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. And indeed, there came to them Our Messengers with clear proofs, evidences, and signs, even then after that many of them continued to exceed the limits (e.g. by doing oppression unjustly and exceeding beyond the limits set by Allâh by committing the major sins) in the land! (Qur’an 5:32)

Charity in the Hadith

On the authority of Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, who said, The Messenger of Allah, the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

Every person’s every joint must perform a charity every day the sun comes up: to act justly between two people is a charity; to help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it is a charity; a good word is a charity; every step you take in prayers is a charity; and removing a harmful thing from the road is a charity. (Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 26).

The prophet (PBUH) said: ‘Seven (types of) people will be covered with Allah’s shade on a day when there is no shade but His Shade, (from among them) a man who gives a charity hiding it, that (even) his left hand does not know what his right hand has spent’

The generosity of A’isha, may Allah be pleased with her:

She was given a gift of one hundred thousand dirhams. She was fasting when she received the money and she distributed the entire amount to the poor and the needy even though she had no provisions in her house. Shortly after, a maidservant said to her: “Could you buy meat for a dirham with which to break your fast?” “If I had remembered, I would have done so,” she said. *

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, “The most beloved deed before Allah is that which continuous, even if it is little.”

This kind of continuous charity is called sadaqa jariya; not only is it the best form of charity in the eyes of Allah, it is also the most beneficial kind of charity for those who are in need of it. Immediate issues must be addressed – food and water given to the starving but contributing to building wells, planting crops, building irrigation systems and establishing schools are the things which will benefit the people in the long run to help them out of their poverty.