1.
There are people in the world so hungry,
that God can not appear to them except in the form of bread.
- Indira Gandhi
God will charge on the Day of Judgment,
"I was hungry and you didn't feed Me."
- Abrahamic Sacred tradition
The world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.
- Helen Keller
When one knows Thee, then alien there is none, then no door is shut.
Oh, grant me my prayer that I may never lose the touch of the One in the play of many. - Rabindranath Tagore
- Helen Keller
When one knows Thee, then alien there is none, then no door is shut.
Oh, grant me my prayer that I may never lose the touch of the One in the play of many. - Rabindranath Tagore
2.
Zakat | Meanings and Philosophy
Zakat or Almsgiving is one of the fundamental pillar of the Universal Path and made natural (incumbent) to anyone who claims to have self-surrendered to God and claims to love His creation as a Sign of the love to the Creator. Zakat is more than free will charity, but is a right of the needy from the excess wealth of the rich, so that there remains no starvation and poverty and thus degradation of human dignity.
The word "Zakat" has two meanings. One of its meanings is "clean, pure." Or to be clean or to purify. The other meaning is to grow, expand and multiply. Because payment of Zakat results in increased wealth, the wealth given in the path of God the Most High is called Zakat.
The zahir or outward meaning of the word Zakat is 'cleansing' or 'purifying' or 'helping to thrive'. The meaning according to Shar (religious law) is 'an obligation that proceeds from a person's wealth and possessions.' The batin or hidden meaning is 'purifying the heart of thoughts other than Allah (since Zakat is a step of letting go of the excessive attachment to material wealth, for the sake of God).'
In the Universal Path, it is obligatory for those of pure conscience to help those in need from one's excess. Thus giving the poor due is made mandatory. The God conscious are those who spend in our path, out of Our provided subsistence" (The Quran 2:3) One of the philosophy of Zakat is that the destitute disturbed in mind on account of hardship of livelihood and excessive worry for day to day living can not commemorate God and devoid of peace. So to help the needy is to enable them to commemorate God with a contended mind. Another philosophy of Zakat is that excess and shortage of everything is bad and moderation in everything is commendable. The excess of worldly riches is also injurious to spiritual state.
Shaykh Sadi writes, "If there is no wealth in our hand we are distressed. If we have it we are fettered to its love. There isn't a more tumultuous calamity than wealth, whose presence and absence both are painful."
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq, may God be pleased with him, who is also a noble exemplifier of generous heart once said, "I will not say that there is any different between Prayer and Zakat." Zakat has been paired with such a high sense of righteousness that it is placed on the same level of importance as offering Salat or heart prayer. In the sacred tradition it is also mentioned that the prayers of those who do not pay zakat will not be accepted. Those who are not generous to others, God doesn't open the gate of His divine generosity towards them.
Zakat is a way of purifying from attachment to wealth and possessions, letting go of greed and selfishness. In addition, Zakat also purifies the person who receives it because it saves the beneficiary from the humiliation of begging and saves from degraded dignity.
The word "Zakat" has two meanings. One of its meanings is "clean, pure." Or to be clean or to purify. The other meaning is to grow, expand and multiply. Because payment of Zakat results in increased wealth, the wealth given in the path of God the Most High is called Zakat.
The zahir or outward meaning of the word Zakat is 'cleansing' or 'purifying' or 'helping to thrive'. The meaning according to Shar (religious law) is 'an obligation that proceeds from a person's wealth and possessions.' The batin or hidden meaning is 'purifying the heart of thoughts other than Allah (since Zakat is a step of letting go of the excessive attachment to material wealth, for the sake of God).'
In the Universal Path, it is obligatory for those of pure conscience to help those in need from one's excess. Thus giving the poor due is made mandatory. The God conscious are those who spend in our path, out of Our provided subsistence" (The Quran 2:3) One of the philosophy of Zakat is that the destitute disturbed in mind on account of hardship of livelihood and excessive worry for day to day living can not commemorate God and devoid of peace. So to help the needy is to enable them to commemorate God with a contended mind. Another philosophy of Zakat is that excess and shortage of everything is bad and moderation in everything is commendable. The excess of worldly riches is also injurious to spiritual state.
Shaykh Sadi writes, "If there is no wealth in our hand we are distressed. If we have it we are fettered to its love. There isn't a more tumultuous calamity than wealth, whose presence and absence both are painful."
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq, may God be pleased with him, who is also a noble exemplifier of generous heart once said, "I will not say that there is any different between Prayer and Zakat." Zakat has been paired with such a high sense of righteousness that it is placed on the same level of importance as offering Salat or heart prayer. In the sacred tradition it is also mentioned that the prayers of those who do not pay zakat will not be accepted. Those who are not generous to others, God doesn't open the gate of His divine generosity towards them.
Zakat is a way of purifying from attachment to wealth and possessions, letting go of greed and selfishness. In addition, Zakat also purifies the person who receives it because it saves the beneficiary from the humiliation of begging and saves from degraded dignity.
3.
The Goal is Purification
The path of purification implies that the human heart be purified from that which is blameworthy and one such blameworthy characteristic is extra attachment to wealth and hoarding up material wealth to the extent that it makes one blind to the poor and needy around one. Such condition is sure contrary to loving one's neighbor, since true loving means to help the other in their dire needs. To constantly have love for the poor is a quality of the Prophets who were seen mostly among the poors, giving up so much so frequently that they themselves lived like poor.
When the mirror of the heart is thoroughly cleansed of the rust of human nature and its selfish characteristics, it becomes capable of reflecting lights from the extrasensory world. And this require not just lip service and high talks about loving God, but real action towards God's creation.
When the mirror of the heart is thoroughly cleansed of the rust of human nature and its selfish characteristics, it becomes capable of reflecting lights from the extrasensory world. And this require not just lip service and high talks about loving God, but real action towards God's creation.
How is a man's worth measured? It is measured by his purity. The foundation of peace rests on purity and God does not countenance any corruption, nor does He displays His beauty to anyone who is spiritually unclean. God loves the pure of heart (Q 2:222). Zakat or giving alms to poor from one's excess wealth is a purification of attachment to wealth and possessions.In the letter on Almsgiving, Shaykh Sharafuddin Maneri wrote to one of his disciple, "there is a worship connected to one's body and another pertaining to one's property. The latter is more efficacious than the former, for its advantage accrues to another as well. Sufis simply pay no attention to all to property and have no dealings with anyone except God." Thus just as worship purifies, so does Zakat or almsgiving with pure intention for pleasing Almighty God alone.
4.
The Disease of Attachment and its Cure
There are visible diseases of the body which has its cures, and there are invisible diseases of the heart with cures as well. The cure of attachment to wealth, property, possessions and material hoarding is the distribution them among the needy, to give alms and to engage in charity without asking for return. Every struggle inside human soul is placed for the self's trial and means of its purification. Thus the attachment and the condition of craving for material wealth and to have more and more - is placed inside the heart of the children of Adam. The Quran says, this condition is a distraction until the death, "The rivalry for hoarding (material stuff) distracts you, until you reach your graves" (102, 1-2). And this condition of attachment is placed as a contrast against which the ascension of human being can happen from selfishness to selflessness.
Verily We have created man into toil and struggle. Does he think that no one has power over him? He may say (boastfully): wealth have I squandered in abundance! Does he think that no one sees him?Have We not shown him the two highways?
But he has not attempted the Ascent - Ah, what will convey unto you what the Ascent is!
(It is) the setting free of a slave, and to feed in a day of hunger to an orphan or to a poor man lying in the dust (homeless, destitute).
- The Quran, Chapter of The City
Thus the spiritual practice of giving in charity, alms giving is a pathway of the spiritual ascent because it frees the self from the bondage of material attachment and excessive non-letting-go tendency. It is one of the most practical medicine against stinginess which is the opposite of generosity and generosity is a divine quality. Those who refuse to pay zakat or refuse to participate in almsgiving, there are no baraka (blessings) upon their wealth and income, and such wealth which denies the right of the poor are eventually taken away from them from other doors of need imposed upon them from the Unseen.
"Do not withhold your money, (for if you did so) Allah would withhold His blessings from you." - The Prophet (in Bukhari)
"Do not withhold your money, (for if you did so) Allah would withhold His blessings from you." - The Prophet (in Bukhari)
5.
Zakat | Token of Thanksgiving and Genuineness of Claim for Love
Everything that is in the heavens and earth is God's.
- The Quran
Only that which cannot be lost in a shipwreck is yours.
-Al Ghazzali
The one who understand the reality, understands well that nothing in this world truly belongs to us. We come into this world naked, empty handed, so shall we leave this world naked and empty handed. No matter how much bank balance or property or wealth one amasses, goes with. Everything that is given to us is given as a safe keeping for a very limited period of time. All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings as a sacred trust.
The almsgiving is a higher form of token of thanksgiving for the grace that is given to you as a free gift. We may delude ourself of earning that wealth, but is the many conditions given to us that help us obtain those wealth, from an able parent to able family which enable us to get education and sound mind etc. all are not chosen by us, but given. It is a means by which we are tried whether we are magnanimous to other, whether we are generous to other or whether we turn a blind eye to those in need.
The almsgiving is a higher form of token of thanksgiving for the grace that is given to you as a free gift. We may delude ourself of earning that wealth, but is the many conditions given to us that help us obtain those wealth, from an able parent to able family which enable us to get education and sound mind etc. all are not chosen by us, but given. It is a means by which we are tried whether we are magnanimous to other, whether we are generous to other or whether we turn a blind eye to those in need.
wa la tansawl fadla baynakum
And do not forget to be magnanimous to one another
- The Quran 2:237
Since Zakat is a token of thanksgiving and a loving appreciation to God's grace, God promises to reward those who give Zakat. It is narrated in Islamic Sacred Tradition that "Seven people will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His. Among these seven group of people shall be the one who practices charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity). Indeed Allahu Ash-Shakur, God Is the Most Appreciative, Rewarder of Good.
When a person enters into the sanctuary of faith, he makes a present of his heart and spirit; when he prays, he offers his body and time; when he gives alms, he bestows his goods. Now, all these three qualities are those of lovers and show the genuineness of their claim to love. The Zakat is a proof of our genuineness of love of the Beloved's creation for the sake of the Beloved alone. May God purify our intention.
6.
Principle of Zakat
The principle of Zakat or Poor Due is very simple. It is to be given freely from what one has as excess. In Islamic tradition to make the practice of almsgiving wholesome and uniform for all, it is made obligatory to pay Zakat equal to 2.5% of the excess wealth. If every single able human being could participate in Zakat and help poor from 2.5% of their excess wealth, it would be sufficient to erradicate poverty from the face of earth by making every poor self-sufficient to earn and run their small business.
Leaving aside complex rules and theories that often confuse people, this is how you may calculate your Zakat due. Whatever wealth you have (in terms of money in the bank, savings, extra possessions that you don't use but have as an luxury such as a second car, second home, gold, precious stones and even agriculture product that have value) you calculate the value of all of them (in terms of their money value) and deduct from that any debt or obligation you may have (credit card balance, loans that you need to pay back) and thus find a total. Now from this total calculate 2.5%. This is the amount that is the poor due or Zakat on you. Its worth noting that when a person obtains goods or possessions, Zakat is not due on that until a full year passes.
Next question is who should get this Zakat or Poor Due?
The poor, destitute, the needy, those who are in debt and do not have means to pay. You may give this to your needy relatives as well. The poor orphans also hold a greater right to receive this Zakat.
Zakat is NOT for religious people who already have wealth or means to support themselves or should NOT be given to build mega mosques (like mega-churches) or luxurious religious establishment. It is only FOR the poor and needy.
When a person enters into the sanctuary of faith, he makes a present of his heart and spirit; when he prays, he offers his body and time; when he gives alms, he bestows his goods. Now, all these three qualities are those of lovers and show the genuineness of their claim to love. The Zakat is a proof of our genuineness of love of the Beloved's creation for the sake of the Beloved alone. May God purify our intention.
6.
Principle of Zakat
The principle of Zakat or Poor Due is very simple. It is to be given freely from what one has as excess. In Islamic tradition to make the practice of almsgiving wholesome and uniform for all, it is made obligatory to pay Zakat equal to 2.5% of the excess wealth. If every single able human being could participate in Zakat and help poor from 2.5% of their excess wealth, it would be sufficient to erradicate poverty from the face of earth by making every poor self-sufficient to earn and run their small business.
Leaving aside complex rules and theories that often confuse people, this is how you may calculate your Zakat due. Whatever wealth you have (in terms of money in the bank, savings, extra possessions that you don't use but have as an luxury such as a second car, second home, gold, precious stones and even agriculture product that have value) you calculate the value of all of them (in terms of their money value) and deduct from that any debt or obligation you may have (credit card balance, loans that you need to pay back) and thus find a total. Now from this total calculate 2.5%. This is the amount that is the poor due or Zakat on you. Its worth noting that when a person obtains goods or possessions, Zakat is not due on that until a full year passes.
Next question is who should get this Zakat or Poor Due?
The poor, destitute, the needy, those who are in debt and do not have means to pay. You may give this to your needy relatives as well. The poor orphans also hold a greater right to receive this Zakat.
Zakat is NOT for religious people who already have wealth or means to support themselves or should NOT be given to build mega mosques (like mega-churches) or luxurious religious establishment. It is only FOR the poor and needy.
7.
Giving to Orphans and Needy Students towards their Sustenance and Education
I have been personally in touch with a Non-Profit organization here in Bangladesh by the name Utsho-Bangladesh where I volunteer. If you are interested to contribute, you may send your Zakat money (partially or fully) to Utsho-Bangladesh which provide residence, shelter to needy, poor and orphan children who have next to nothing. Many of them are even rescued from streets. To learn detail about Utsho Bangladesh click here and also here is another local newspaper report on Utsho's activity.You may click on the Paypal button below to contribute which shall be conveyed by Utsho-Bangladesh Zakat Fund to help orphans and poor kids as well as to Sacred Heart School in Kolkata to support children of financial hardship as well.
Alternatively for Bank Transfer, bank details:
Sadiq M. Alam
Bank of America
Branch: California
Account No: 00993-68109 (Checking Account)
Routing No for Electronic Direct Deposit: 121000358
Wire Transfer: 026009593
SWIFT Code: BOFAUS3N
May God accept your Zakat and purify your heart and soul. May your generosity be rewarded with a divine generosity worthy that of the Most Generous, the Most Bountiful Lord. Amen.
Ya Karim!
Madad Ya Zul Jalali wal Ikram
Help O Lord of Majesty and Generosity!
8.
His riches shall not save him when he perishes
As for the one who gives and guard oneself and confirms ultimate goodness, so We shall ease him to the ease.
But as for one who is miserly and claim to be self-sufficient and denies ultimate goodness, so We shall ease him to hardship. His riches shall not save him when he perishes.
Truly upon Us rests the guidance and truly to Us belong the alpha and the omega.
- The Quran 92:5-13
Is there any reward for goodness - other than goodness?
- Quran 55:60
# Reference:
. Bukhari Collection on Zakat
. Prophet's advice on Zakat (Alms)
. Zakat & Sadaqah
. General Zakat Questions
. Zakat Calculator
. Charity in Islam: A Comprehensive Guide to Zakat by Ömer Faruk Şentürk
9 comments:
like it.
Thank you brother Sadiq for this post. Worth adding,
The benefit of giving Zakat
Allah Ta'ala has stated that 'success is for those who give Zakat'. He has also stated 'Whatever you give, Allah will replace it with even more and Allah is the best at giving wealth'. He has also stated 'that those who are misers, then don't think that whatever Allah has given them due to His virtue that it is a good thing for them but it is a bad thing for them, because that item will be wrapped around their necks and a lock put on it for those who are tight with their money'.
Punishment and loss for not giving Zakat
Allah has also stated ' those who collect silver and gold and do not spend it in the path of Allah then they will be given severe punishment and give them the good news that when they are heated in the fire of Hell and with that their foreheads and sides and backs will be marked and they will be told that this is that gold and silver which you gained for your desire and so taste what you had gained'. The Holy Prophet Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam has reported that 'the goods that are destroyed, are destroyed due to not giving Zakat'. He has also reported' that 'strengthen your possession by giving Zakat and heal your sick by giving Sadqa and pray to deter any difficulties and cry and perform worship'. He has also reported that 'Allah Ta'ala has made four things obligatory and those who only perform three of them and miss one then it will be of no use to them until all four things are not performed. Namaz,Roza, Zakat and Hajj, and he stated that those who do not give Zakat, their Namaz is not accepted [Tibrani, Abu Da'ud, Imam Ahmad].
Dear Sadiq,
Thank you so much for this post on the outward and inward significance of zakat!
Kindest wishes,
mo'in
The Holy Qur'an (Sura Al-Tauba: 60
"Zakat is for the poor, and the needy and those who are employed to administer and collect it,
and the new converts, and for those who are in bondage, and in debt and service of the cause
of Allah, and for the wayfarers, a duty ordained by Allah, and Allah is the All-Knowing, the Wise".
Dear Brother Sadiq,
Excellent and timely advice on Zakaat. The accompanying recitation of Surah Rehman was out of the world! Jazakallah.
In Surah Rehman Allah Ta'ala says 'Which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?' - and one of the favours that he has given is wealth. Not using it for Zakat is akin to denying that it has indeed come from Allah Ta'ala. THat is why in another Quranic verse Allah Ta'ala says ' Give from that which I have given you'.
Jaan di, di hui us ki thi
Haq to yeh hai, haq bhi ada na hua
What Happens When You Give?
There is no question we should give and extend a helping to hand to people in need whether Muslims or non-Muslims. We should not only just do it in the month of Ramadan but through out the year. The Spirit of Ramadan should not end when Ramadan ends, but it should stay with us through out the year until the next Ramadan. Make the next one be better than the last one. May your next one be better than the last one! One of the great Sufi Saint of the Asian-Subcontinent said that be like the earth, be like the ocean, and be like the sun.
We should give out of Love of God instead of out Fear of God. We need to graduate from the Station of Fear into the Station of Love. I understand some people may have difficulty with concept of giving out of Love of God, but I believe the state of Love of God is higher than the state of Fear of God. I prefer to emphasis what happens when you give instead of what happens when you don’t give. God is Giver. His Kingdom does not diminish with His giving. Your giving will not diminish your kingdom either, but it will get enlarged with your giving. The benefit of your giving may be intangible. I know we are conditioned to look for the tangibles result of our giving. Give and your will receive tangible and intangible benefits in your life and the lives of your loved ones.
“Some people may wonder about the suggestion that we must fear God, asserting instead that we only need to think of God as kind and all-loving. A verse of in Holy Qur’an makes this clear is found in Surat al Baqarah (2:112): Nay, but whosoever gives up his own desires while serving Allah and does good acts, his reward is with his Lord; They shall have no fears And neither shall they grieve’. In other words, if one gives up one’s own selfish desires and serves humanity solely for the sake of pleasing Allah, the reward is the totally and unrestricted protection, grace, and favor of Allah. When one has Allah, the Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of the creation, as one’s Protection Friend, how could one ever be afraid of suffer sadness?” (1, p. 106). We all have the potential to become the Protecting Friends of God. It is not limited to the select few. You do the preparation, God does the choosing. You have nothing to loose, but everything to gain. To paraphrase Rumi, sell your finite self and gain the Infinite Self. Sell your little kingdom, and gain His Kingdom. Everything has price. It is up to you to pay the price.
I can only lead you to the water, but I cannot force you to drink it.
God encourages and promises this: “The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn: it growth seven ears, and each ear hath a hundred grains. Allah giveth manifold increase to whom he pleaseth: And Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things….(2, Qur’an 2:262:265).
We should give from whatever we can afford. Our giving should not place a burden on us. God wants to us give within our means. The important thing is to give from the heart. It is better to give a dollar from the heart than give hundred dollars without the heart. We should give through out the year to our local mosques, charitable organizations in our respective countries, and to people who are in other countries. Of course, those
Please see below for the remaining post. Thanks.
who are given much it is recommended that they give much. However; God does not want us that our giving should become a burden for us.
God wants us to give, but God also is Kind and Understanding so He does not “want to lay a burden on us which we cannot bear”. (3, p. 6). “Let the man of means spend according to his means: and the man whose resources are restricted. Let him spend according to what Allah has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him. After a difficulty, Allah will soon grant relief”. (2, Qur’an 65:7).
I read a very interesting piece about giving in a book which I would like to share with the visitors of this site. Let me make one thing clear since this is from non-Muslim source, but it re-affirms what I mentioned above about giving. It does not contradict Qur’an.
Let Qur’an be your compass when you read non-Muslims sources books.
Beginning of citation: “Giving is receiving: The law of giving flows from the truth: rather than being fixed entity, the universe is a dynamic, flowing, moving stream of energy. When you give of yourself unconditionally, you create a temporary imbalance that must be corrected. Like the molecules of air rushing in to fill a vacuum, the universe strives to replace the good you have given out.
Often, the flow will come back from totally unexpected source (my addition: Quran states in Surah 65:3: “And He provides for him From sources he never Could imagine….”). For example, you may spend a day helping Anne move into her new home. Six months later when it is your turn to move, Anne may be unavailable to help you, but Jesse calls and offers his assistance. A year later, Jesse receives some much-needed support from Bob. Like angels of Jacob’s ladder, we are one interconnected spiritual chain, reaching up to a higher ground.
There are many ways to give. You can give of your time, your money, your talents, or yourself. There are many people to whom you can give---your family, friends, or those in the human family whom you do not know. It doesn’t matter how you do it; the principle is the same. Every time you extend yourself outward, the universe extends itself to you. Whenever you put another first, the universe puts you first. The more you give, the more you receive.
Strive to reach out and take the hand of the soul next to you. As you extend yourself in love, you will be uplifted to new state of joyful awareness.
Affirmations: 1.The more I give to others, the more the universe gives to me. 2. There is enough to go around for everyone, including me. 3. Divine love in me blesses all that I am, all that I give, and all that I receive. 4. My cup runs over. I have more than I need, and so I share with my world. 5. Every dollar I contribute to others comes back to me multiplied. 6. Your own …………
Words to Consider: You can have everything you want, if you just help enough other people get what they want – Zig Ziglar” End of citation. (4, pp. 38-39).
Please see below for continuation of this post. Thanks.
As we come to the end of Ramadan, I would urge you to remember Muslims who are oppressed and are denied to practice their faith freely: The Muslims of Palestine (all of Israel), Kashmir (all of India), Chechnya (all of Russia), Uyghurstan or East Turkistan (all of China), France, Bosnia, Thailand, Philippines, Africa, etc. Muslims of North and South America where they have experienced increased harassment and discrimination simply because of their faith. As Muslims, we are not free until all Muslims are free to practice their faith freely, and they have achieved their independence from their oppressors: be it Israel, India, Russia, China, France, Thailand, or Philippines.
We Muslims also have responsibility not to oppress any non-Muslims living in majority Muslims countries.
God Bless America and May it lives up to its ideals when its leaders are dealing with issues of Palestine, Kashmir, its own citizens who are Muslims, etc. God Bless the Whole World.
Lastly, our response to Muslims haters should be this: It is not our problem for being Muslims, but it is the problem of anti-Muslims for being anti-Muslims. I recommend they get some help. Psychiatric counseling is highly recommended.
All the best and respectfully yours,
Tahir
USA
1. The Book of Sufi Healing by Shaykh Hakim Moinunddin Chishiti, Copyright 1991 by Hakim abu-Abdullah Moinuddin al-Chishtiyya.
2. Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s New Edition with Revised Translation and Commentary of Qur’an.
3. Fatiha and Dua’s, Arabic and English Translation & Transliteration Edited by Duraid and Fatoohi, Copyright 2001.
4. Words That Heal by Douglas Bloch, Copyright 1988 by Douglas Bloch.
I would like to acknowledge your (initials follow) contributions that have reached me:
G.D.
M.B.S.N
T.Q
May God reward you many times for your sincere contributions in the Zakat Fund. May God accept your noble intentions and your charity. Prayers of gratitude from every person who benefits from your donations be with you on the Day of Reckoning when none will have the power for intercession except who is given permission from the Lord Most High.
Peace and Blessings be with you all.
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