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seekshidayath View Drop Down
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    Posted: 14 December 2006 at 2:44am

As'salamualaikum Wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

What do money, a good word and removing something harmful from the road have in common?

Giving charity is such an important part of Islam that even the Arabic word tasaddaqa {to give charity}  comes from the root sadaqa meaning to speak truth , to be sincere Sadaqah { voluntary charity}  is different from zakah, the compulsory alms that are collected every year.

A muslim shows his sincerity of faith and attains piety by being generous.:
" Ye will not attain unto piety until ye spend of that which ye love. And whatsoever ye spend, Allah is aware thereof" -  Al-Imran :92

There are many verses in the Qur'an in which Allah ta'ala tells muslims to give in charity. Sometimes this charity  is in expiation for a wrongdoing and other times it is an acknowledgement that everything one "owns" is in fact a trust from Allah ta'ala  and that anything spent in the way of Allah ta'ala will be paid in full multiplied on the Day of judgement. Infact the Qur'an in places calls this spending "a beautiful loan".

Muslims are enjoined  to give charity without reproach to the recipient. It is also better for them to give secretly rather than openly. so that their intention  is entirely to gain the pleasure of Allah ta'ala and not to gain the admiration of people.

" A kind word with forgiveness is better than alms  giving followed by  injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement. O Ye  who believe!  render  not vain your alms giving by reproach and injury, like him who splendeth his wealth  only to be seen of men and believeth not in Allah and the last day ----- {Al-Baqarah 2 : 263 - 64}

It is easy to give money as charity when one is wealthy, but the best charity is given when one fears poverty, for one must then sincerly trust in Allah's reward.

When Prophet Muhammad sallal lahu alaihi wasallam , was asked which charity is the best, he replied, "That you shud give charity {in a state when you are} healthy, close fisted, haunted by the fear  of poverty and hoping to become rich  {Charity in such a state of health and   mind is the best} And   you must not defer  {charity to such a length}  that you are about to die and would be saying  : This is for so and so. and this is for so and so and so. Lo, it has already come into  {the possession of so and so}  Reported by Muslim}

Even the money that  a person spends on his family counts as charoty if his intention is for Allah. The Prophet sallal lahu alaihi wasallam said , " When a muslim spends on his family seeking reward for it from Allah, it counts for him as charity."  {Reported by Muslim}



Edited by seekshidayath
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: �All the descendants of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent."
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seekshidayath View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote seekshidayath Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 December 2006 at 2:50am

There is reward  in good deeds done with no expectation of remuneration in this life.

And a woman may give charity of her husband's earnings. A'ishah }RA , the wife of Prophet sallal lahu alaihi wasallam  reported that he said " When a woman gives in charity some of the food in her house, without causing any damage , there is a reward  for her for whatever she has given, and a reward for her husband for what he earned. The same applies to the trustee. In no respect does the one diminish the reward of the other" {Reported by muslim}

Infact Prophet Muhammad sallal lahu alaihi wasallam told  his followers that sadaqah {voluntary  charity} is incumbent upon them every single day. But this sadaqah can take many forms :

"There is a compulsory sadaqah {charity} given for every joint of the human body {as a sign of gratitude to Allah } everyday the sun rises. To judge justly between two persons  is regarded as sadaqah ; and to help a man concerning his riding animal,  by helping him to mount it or  by lifting his luggage  on to it, is also regarded as sadaqah; and every step taken on one's way  to offer compulsory prayer {in the mosque} is also  a sadaqah; and to remove a harmful thing from the way is also sadaqah" Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim}

Thus even those who have little or no extra money can charity. For them, there is till reward in good deeds done for the pleasure of Allah with no expectations of remuneration in this life. Elsewhere, the Prophet sallal  lahu alaihi wasallam  told even more ways that muslims can give charity.

The Prophet sallal lahu alai hi wasallam said, "Giving charity is obligatory upon every muslim" It was asked "What do u say of him who does not find the means to do so?" 

He said, "Let him do manual work, this doing benefit to himself and give charity"

It was asked ,"What about one who does not have means to do so?"

He said , "Then let him assist the needy, the aggrieved".

It was asked   "What do you say of one who cannot even do this?"
Prophet {sallal lahu alaihi wasallam}, replied "He should then abstain from evil , for verily that is charity on his behalf" {Reported by Muslim}

Muslims are also encouraged to establish an ongoing charity whose rewards they will continue to reap after their deaths. This can be knowledge that is passed  on in   book or other form, fruit trees from which the poor may eat, or an endowment.

Thus sadaqah, in whatever form should be a part of Muslims's daily life. Such charity strengthens the Muslim's piety, turns his intentions to his Creator, and spreads wealth and goodwill among the community.

Lets  thank Allah ta'ala for  the beautiful ettiquetes taught to us thru the verses of the Qur'an and hadith, May Allah help us to follow these and  lead us on right path and thus lead us to  heaven {Jannah}  Ameen.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: �All the descendants of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent."
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hat2010 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hat2010 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 December 2006 at 9:18pm
Thank you for this lovely post and reminder...
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USA-NIQAABI View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote USA-NIQAABI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 January 2007 at 5:56pm

Assalamu'Alaikum,

Mash'Allah....very nice.... I noticed that you didn't have down in relation to charity "Don't let half a date stand between you and Jannah" that is a very visual reminder as well and one that I've heard in many Jummah Khutbahs during Ramadans' past.......

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alwardah Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 January 2007 at 3:54am

As Salamu Alaikum

Masha Allah very nice articles.

I just finished a lovely book called : �Charity even with a Trifle� by Abdul Malik Al-Qasim

And it has a date pic on it.

Jazakallahu Khairan for this reminder.

Salams

 



Edited by Alwardah
�Verily your Lord is quick in punishment; yet He is indeed Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful (Surah Al-An�am 6:165)
"Indeed, we belong to Allah and to Him is our return" (Surah Baqarah 2: 155)
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semar View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote semar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 January 2007 at 4:24pm
Originally posted by seekshidayath seekshidayath wrote:

It is easy to give money as charity when one is wealthy, but the best charity is given when one fears poverty, for one must then sincerely trust in Allah's reward.

But it doesn't mean that if you are rich you have to wait till you are poor then give charity. It should means that "the higher your sacrificing" the better you are in the eyes of Allah. So if you are rich you should give the same percentage like the poor do to get the same level of sacrificing.



Edited by semar
Salam/Peace,

Semar

"We are people who do not eat until we are hungry and do not eat to our fill." (Prophet Muhammad PBUH)

"1/3 of your stomach for food, 1/3 for water, 1/3 for air"
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seekshidayath View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote seekshidayath Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 January 2007 at 3:54am

As'salamualaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,

I don't agree here that there shud be same level and percentage  of sacrificing for both the groups- Poor and Rich. Then how can the gap between both the groups be lessened?

Both the groups shud give charity without the fear of poverty, having complete trust in Allah ta'ala and with the intention - ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH. Its said that giving hand is better than accepting one. So why care if we are rich or poor rather go for charity trusting in Allah's reward.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: �All the descendants of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent."
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