Charity in Islam
Charity in Islam
CHARITY IN ‘ISLĀM
T
he glorious religion of ‘Islām is undoubtedly one
which teaches moderation and balance in all
aspects. Be it in creed or practice, the religion of
‘Islām is seen delivering a lesson of moderation to those
blessed with belief in it. Accordingly, in the aspect of
personal finances, the religion of ‘Islām paints an image of
balance showing the believers an unblemished model to be
followed in a world wherein one will find two extremities in
this regard.
1
These are people who make a living while depending on the
hard-earned wealth of others. These people are fed,
clothed, and taken care of with funds of charity, and they
feel no shame in begging for such funds. Both of these
approaches to wealth are two extremities on the spectrum
of financial wellbeing, and both are contrary to the
teachings of ‘Islām.
2
The difference, however, in their ownership of such
treasures versus those who chase worldly treasures today is
the fact that these esteemed companions possessed great
sums of wealth, yet they did not allow the wealth to possess
them, whereas the people today become possessed by their
own wealth and they become subjects of their earnings; for
the sake of their wealth, they are willing to go to any length
and there is no end in sight for their pursuit of wealth.
1
Rūḥ al-Ma`ānī, Sūrah al-Qaṣaṣ: 67-77
3
A practice he once did purely out of necessity grows to
consume him entirely, and the earnings which were once
sufficient no longer suffice the fulfillment of his desires.
4
The Noble Ṣaḥābah, Allāh is pleased with them, who did not
have the means to give charity expressed their concerns in
the court of the Beloved Messenger, may Allāh send
blessings and salutations upon him:
2
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1006
5
The verses of the Glorious Qur’ān and the statements of the
Noble Messenger, may Allāh send blessings and salutations
upon him, in this regard are abundant.
ُ َ ََ ُ َّ
ﻟ ِﻠّﺰ]ﺎِة ﻓﺎِ`<ْ=َنMْV َواﻟِﺬﻳَْﻦ
“And those who are observant of Zakāh [have attained success].” 4
َ َ َ ُ ُ ُ ُ َ ُ ُ َ َ ْ ُ َ َ
oٌnْ ﺑِِﻪ َ`ِﻠ,َ+*ٍء ﻓِﺈّن اiْh ّﺒﻮَن َوَﻣﺎ ﺗْﻨِﻔﻘْﻮا ِﻣْﻦgِf ّﺎQOِ َﺣّﺘٰﻰ ﺗْﻨِﻔﻘْﻮاcّbِﻟْﻦ ﺗَﻨﺎﻟﻮا اﻟ
“You will never attain righteousness until you spend from what you
love, and whatever you spend of anything, Allāh certainly knows of
it.” 5
3
Sūrah al-Baqarah: 3
4
Sūrah al-Mu’minūn: 4
5
Sūrah ‘Āl `Imrān: 92
6
These verses exhibit that the act of spending wealth in the
cause of Allāh Almighty is the means to piety, success, and
righteousness, and thus, these verses are a form of
motivation for the believers, and it eases for them letting
go, for the sake of Allāh Almighty, of what they hold so close
to their hearts.
6
Sūrah Sabā: 39
7
Moreover, the Gracious Creator Almighty states:
ُّ َ َ ْ َْ َ َ َ ّٰ َُ َ ُ َّ ُ َ َ
ﻛَﻤﺜِﻞ َﺣّﺒٍﺔ أﻧَﺒَﺘﺖ َﺳْﺒ• َﺳَﻨﺎﺑِﻞ { ِْ| ] ِﻞ,ِ+* { ِْ| َﺳِﺒْﻴِﻞ اMْLّﻣﺜﻞ اﻟِﺬﻳَْﻦ ﻳ ُْﻨِﻔﻘْﻮَن أْﻣَﻮاﻟ
ٌ َّ َ ُ َ َّ َ ُ َ َ
oٌnْ َواِﺳ• َ`ِﻠ,ُ+* َﺸﺎُء َواƒ ﻳ ُﻀﺎِﻋﻒ ﻟ َِﻤْﻦ,ُ+*ُﺳﻨُﺒﻠٍﺔ ِّﻣﺎﺋﺔ َﺣّﺒٍﺔ َوا
“The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allāh is
similar to a grain which has sprouted seven ears, in every ear are a
hundred grains. Allāh multiplies [even more] for whom He wills.
Allāh is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.” 7
7
Sūrah al-Baqarah: 261
8
Allāh Almighty states:
ُ َّ ٌ َ ُ ْ ُ َّ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ّٰ ُ َ َُْ َّ َ َ َ َ
MْL ﻟŽّ• ﺑ َﻞ ﻫَﻮMLا ﻟcًvِ‹ ﻫَﻮ ﺧŠِ ِﻣﻦ ﻓﻀ,ُ+* اMُV اﻟِﺬﻳَﻦ ﻳ َ‡ˆ<=َن ﺑَِﻤﺎ آﺗﺎyّbَﺴgْs …7َو
ْ ُ َ ُ ََ
<ْ=ا ﺑِِﻪ ﻳ َْﻮَم اﻟِﻘَﻴﺎَﻣِﺔtِ• َﺳُﻴﻄّﻮﻗْﻮَن َﻣﺎ
“And those who are miserly with what Allāh has granted them out
of His grace shall certainly not think it is best for them. Rather, it is
bad for them. They shall soon be leashed with what they were
miserly with on the Day of Resurrection.” 8
8
Sūrah ‘Āl `Imrān: 180
9
Sūrah al-Tawbah: 34-35
9
The Noble Companions, Allāh is pleased with them, were
the people who learned the significance of spending in the
way of Allāh Almighty directly from the Messenger of Allāh,
may Allāh send blessings and salutations upon him, and
their practice truly reflects their learnings. The Noble
Companions, Allāh is pleased with them, possessed an
unparalleled passion for serving the religion with their own
belongings. This is evident in a narration of Sayyidunā
`Umar bin al-Khaṭṭāb, Allāh is pleased with him.
He states:
… ﻓﻘﻠﺖ7 `ﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ أن ﻧﺘﺼﺪق ﻓﻮاﻓﻖ ذﻟﻚ ﻋﻨﺪي ﻣﺎ,+* ﺻﻠﻰ ا,+*ﻧﺎ رﺳﻮل اž•أ
ﺻﻠﻰ,+*اﻟﻴﻮم أﺳﺒﻖ أﺑﺎ ﺑﻜﺮ إن ﺳﺒﻘﺘﻪ ﻳﻮﻣﺎ ﻗﺎل ¦§ﺌﺖ ﺑﻨﺼﻒ ﻣﺎ©| ﻓﻘﺎل رﺳﻮل ا
ﻞ ﻣﺎ ﻋﻨﺪه ﻓﻘﺎل ﻳﺎ أﺑﺎ#‹ وأﺗﻰ أﺑﻮ ﺑﻜﺮ ﺑŠﻫﻠﻚ ﻗﻠﺖ ﻣﺜ87 `ﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ ﻣﺎ أﺑﻘﻴﺖ,+*ا
ء أﺑﺪاih … أﺳﺒﻘﻪ إﻟﻰ7 ,+* ورﺳﻮ«‹ ﻗﻠﺖ وا,+* اMLﻫﻠﻚ ﻗﺎل أﺑﻘﻴﺖ ﻟ87 ﺑﻜﺮ ﻣﺎ أﺑﻘﻴﺖ
“The Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh send blessings and salutations
upon him, commanded us to pay charity, so that coincided with me
having wealth. Thus, I said, ‘If there is any day that I precede him,
it is today that I precede ‘Abū Bakr.’”
10
I responded, ‘An equal of this.’ ‘Abū Bakr brought all that was in
his possession, and he [may Allāh send blessings and salutations
upon him] inquired, ‘O ‘Abū Bakr, what have you kept for your
household?’ He replied, ‘I have kept for them Allāh and His
Messenger.’ I said, ‘By Allāh, I will not precede him to anything
ever.’” 10
10
Jāmi` al-Tirmidhī: 3675
11
He says:
َ َّ ْ َ َّ ْ َّ
yv ذﻟﻚ `ﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﺴﻠﻤcb¬ﻳﺔ َواﻟِﺬﻳَْﻦ ﻳ َﻜِ’ُ“ْوَن اﻟﺬﻫَﺐ َواﻟِﻔﻀﺔ ﻗﺎل ﻛ7ﻟﻤﺎ ﻧﺰﻟﺖ ﻫﺬه ا
ﺎﺑﻚg± `ﻠﻰ أcb إﻧﻪ ﻛ,+* اi° ﻋﻨﻪ أﻧﺎ أﻓﺮج ﻋﻨﻜﻢ ﻓﺎﻧﻄﻠﻖ ﻓﻘﺎل ﻳﺎ ﻧ,+* اi® رž-ﻓﻘﺎل ﻋ
… ﻟﻴﻄﻴﺐ7]ﺎة إµwض ا³² ﻟﻢ ﻳ,+* `ﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ إن ا,+* ﺻﻠﻰ ا,+*¬ﻳﺔ ﻓﻘﺎل رﺳﻮل ا7ﻫﺬه ا
ž- ﻋcbﻣﺎ ﺑ¶· ﻣﻦ أﻣﻮا"¸ﻢ وإﻧﻤﺎ ﻓﺮض اﻟﻤﻮارﻳﺚ ﻟﺘ˜=ن ﻟﻤﻦ ﺑﻌﺪﻛﻢ ﻓﻜ
“When this verse ‘And those who hoard gold and silver…’ was
revealed, he said that became burdensome upon the Muslims.
Thereupon, `Umar, Allāh is pleased with him, said, ‘I will alleviate
it from you.’ Thus, he went and said, ‘O Prophet of Allāh, verily, this
verse has become burdensome upon your companions.’ The
Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh send blessings and salutations upon
him, responded, ‘Indeed, Allāh has not obligated zakāh except to
purify what remains from your wealth, and He has only obligated
inheritances so that they may be for those after you.’ Thereupon,
`Umar proclaimed the takbīr.” 11
11
Sunan ‘Abū Dāwūd: 1664
12
However, those that Allāh Almighty blesses with this bounty
must recognize the value of charity and using their wealth
for the sake of the religion, and they must use this bounty
to aid in the works of ‘Islām.
13
Offering Zakāt to an
‘ISLĀMIC UNIVERSITY OR INSTITUTION
A Fatwā by Muftī `Abd al-Wājid al-Qādirī (Holland)
QUESTION
14
Residence, nourishment, and other amenities are provided
by the university for the foreign lecturers and students
within the university.
15
THE ANSWER
For example, if the principal only ran the cafeteria with this
wealth of Zakāh and Fiṭr and fed its food to the pauper and
destitute students, even then, the Zakāh will be invalid as in
feeding the food in this case is only making the food
permissible [for them to consume there] and is not a
transferal of ownership – and the transferal ownership is
required [for the validity of Zakāh].
16
If the Muslims there cannot support the university by their
own wealth, the wealth of Allāh and His Messenger may be
used for its preservation and advancement by means of
ḥīlah shar`īyah.
This entails that the Zakāh, Fiṭr and other wājib forms of
charity be given to a pious and righteous man of Allāh who
is also entitled to receive Zakāh, then he, with the intention
of reward, purchases the groceries, books or whatever is the
need of the university, and gives it to the university, or, as
charity, gives it in monetary form to the university.
WRITTEN BY:
`ABD AL-WĀJID QĀDIRĪ, NŪRĪ DĀR AL-‘IFTĀ’
May he be pardoned
17
TRANSLITERATION KEY
إأء ‘ | ‘a | ‘i | ‘u ط ṭ
ب b ظ ẓ
تة t ع ` | `a | `i | `u
ث th غ gh
ج j ف f
ح ḥ ق q
خ kh ك k
د d ل l
ذ dh م m
ر r ن n
ز z و w
س s ه h
ش sh ي y
ض ḍ
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