In English translations of the meaning of the Noble Qur'aan, charity is usually translated as "spending out of what Allaah has given you" and it includes your possession and yourself. Giving charity is a struggle against the desire to be selfish and to provide avenue for people to be generous to other people; and perhaps that is why Allaah has created some people poor and some people rich.
This should guard us from being stingy as this is a fear that shaytaan plants in the heart of men.
Allaah says:
"Shaytaan (Satan) threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha (evil deeds, illegal sexual intercourse, sins etc.); whereas Allah promises you Forgiveness from Himself and Bounty, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower (Q2:268).
While Shaytaan is threatening us with poverty, Allaah informs us that whatever we spend in His cause He will replace it. Allaah says:
"Say: "Truly, my Lord enlarges the provision for whom He wills of His slaves, and (also) restricts (it) for him, and whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allah's Cause), He will replace it. And He is the Best of providers." (Q34:39).
The Messenger of Allaah (peace blessings of Allaah be upon him) also reiterated this when he said:
"There are three things which I swear to be true, and I shall tell you something else, so keep it in mind. The three things which I swear to be true are that a man's property does not become less on account of sadaqah; that when a man is wronged and bears it patiently Allaah will give him greater honour on that account; and that when a man opens a door towards begging, Allaah opens for him a door towards poverty." (Tirmidhee)
Charity is of two types
Charity in Islaam can be broadly divided into two: the compulsory charity, (this also has two types; (Zakah) which is done annually and at a fixed rate on certain possessions that have reached a minimum level; and zakat ul fitr which is given at the end of Ramadan); and the optional charity (sadaqah) which we can do at any time and its amount is also not fixed. Our discussion here is about the optional Charity. Allaah says:
"The righteous are those who believe in the unseen, establish regular obligatory prayers and spend out of that which We had bestowed upon them."(Q2:2)
Its' recommendation
Allaah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has encouraged us to give sadaqah, even if we have to go and work so as to be able to give. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Every Muslim has to give in charity."
The people asked, "O Allah's Prophet! If someone has nothing to give, what will he do?" He said:
"He should work with his hands and benefit himself and also give in charity (from what he earns)."
(Bukhaaree)
Narrated Abu Huraira (RA): The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"No doubt, it is better for a person to take a rope and proceed in the morning to the mountains and cut the wood and then sell it, and eat from this income and give alms from it than to ask others for something." (Bukhaaree)
Some virtues of Sadaqah
It saves from Hellfire: Narrated Adi bin Hatim (RA): 'The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"There will be none among you but will be talked to, by Allaah on the Day of Resurrection, without there being an interpreter between him and Him (Allaah). He will look and see nothing ahead of him, and then he will look again for the second time) in front of him, and the (Hell) Fire will confront him. So, whoever among you can save himself from the Fire, should do so even with one half of a date (to give in charity)." (Bukhaaree)
Means of attaining piety: Allaah says,
"By no means shall you attain AI-Birr (piety, righteousness, etc.,), unless you spend (in Allaah's Cause) of that which you love; and whatever of good you spend, Allah knows it well. (Q3:92)
Allaah gives multiple rewards: Allaah says:
"The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He pleases. And Allah is AII- Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower." (Q2:261)
It prevents calamity: Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib (RA), "Allaah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Give the sadaqah without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity" (Tirmidhee)
It averts an evil death: Narrated Anas ibn Malik (RA), "Allaah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Sadaqah appeases the Lord's anger and averts an evil death." (Tirmidhee)
It extinguishes fire: Narrated Mu'adh ibn Jabal (RA): Allaah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Charity extinguishes (the fire of sin) just as water extinguishes fire" (Tirmidhee)
It is the proof of faith: Abu Malik AIHarith bin Asim AI-Ash' ar (RA) reported that: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Charity is the proof of Faith" (Muslim).
From what do you give Charity?
Some people are of the habit of giving out in charity what they cannot accept if given to them or they give charity out of wealth obtained from sources not permissible in the shariah. Allaah says,
"O you who believe! Spend of the good things which you have (legally) earned, and of that which We have produced from the earth for you, and do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it, (though) you would not accept it save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein. And know that Allah is Rich (Free of all wants), and Worthy of all praise. (Q2:267)
Forms of charity
Some people think that since we are not all blessed with plenty of money or possession, it might be difficult for all of us to engage in giving charity. But this is not so as Allaah in His infinite Mercy has opened for us several ways of giving charity and thus earning rewards.
Narrated Abu Dharr (RA), "Some of the people from among the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him: 'Messenger of Allah, the rich have taken away (all the) reward. They observe prayer as we do, they keep the fasts as we keep them, and they give sadaqah from their surplus riches.' Upon this he (the Prophet) said:
'Has Allah not prescribed for you (a course) by following which you can (also) do sadaqah? In every declaration of the glorification of Allah (i.e. saying SubhanAllah) there is a sadaqah, every Takbir (i.e. saying AllahuAkbar) is a sadaqah, every praise of Him (saying Alhamdulillah) is a sadaqah, every declaration that He is One (Lailaha illallah) is sadaqah, enjoining of good is a sadaqah, forbidding of that which is evil is a Sadaqah."' (Muslim)
Good deeds and good words.
Other forms of charity or sadaqah include several acts of good deeds and saying of good words. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
"Every Muslim has to give in charity"
The people asked, "O Allah's Prophet! If someone has nothing to give, what will he do? 'He said:
"He should work with his hands and benefit himself and also give in charity (from what he eams)."
The people further asked, "If he cannot find even that?" He replied:
"He should help the needy who appeal for help."
Then the people asked, "If he cannot do that?" He replied:
"Then he should perform good deeds and keep away from evil deeds and this will be regarded as charitable deeds." (Bukhaaree)
Also, Abu Huraira (RA) narrated that: Allaah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
:"There is a (compulsory) sadaqa (charity) to be given for every joint of the human body (as a sign of gratitude to Allaah) every day the sun rises. To judge justly between two persons is regarded as sadaqa, and to help a man concerning his riding animal by helping him to ride it or by lifting his luggage on to it, is also regarded as sadaqa, and (saying) a good word is also sadaqa, and every step taken on one's way to offer the compulsory prayer (in the mosque) is also sadaqa and to remove a harmful thing from the way is also sadaqa." (Bukhaaree)
Jabir (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"When a Muslim plants a tree, whatever is eaten from it is charity from him and whatever is stolen is charity and whatever is subtracted from it is charity". (Muslim)
Other issues about charity
Expect reward only from Allaah: When Allaah was informing us about the pious,
He says: "And they give food, in spite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor), the orphan, and the captive, (Saying): "We feed you seeking Allaah's Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you. "Verily, We fear from our Lord a Day, hard and distressful, that will make the faces look horrible (from extreme dislikeness to it)." (Q76:8-10)
Don't reproach the taker: Allaah says:
"Kind words and forgiving of faults are better than Sadaqah (charity) followed by injury. And Allah is Rich (Free of all wants) and He is Most- Forbearing. O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men and he does not believe in Allah, or in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain that leaves it bare"(Q2 vs 263-264)
Don’t take It back: Narrated Khattab (RA). I gave a horse in AIIaah’s cause. The person to whom it was given, did not look after It. I intended to buy it from him, thinking that he would sell it cheap. When I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of AlIaah be upon him): he said:
Don t buy It, even If he gives It to you for one Dirham, as the person who takes back what he has given In charity, is like a dog that swallows back Its vomit." (Bukhaaree)
Not more than one third: Narrated Sad bin Abu Waqqas (RA): The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came visiting me while I was (sick) in Mecca, and said:
"May Allah bestow His Mercy on Ibn Afra (Sad bin Khaula)."
I said, "O Allah's Messenger!
May I will all my property (in charity)?" He said
"No."
I said, "Then may I will half of it?" He said:
"No".
I said, "One third?" He said:
"Yes, one third, yet even one third is too much! It is better for you to leave your inheritors wealthy than to leave them poor begging others, and whatever you spend for Allah's sake will be considered as a charitable deed even the handful of food you put in your wife's mouth. Allah may lengthen your age so that some people may benefit by you, and some others be harmed by you." (Bukhaaree)
The best of alms: Narrated Abu Huraira (RA): The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"The best alms is that which is given when one is rich, and a giving hand is better than a taking one, and you should start first to support your dependents." (Bukhaaree)
The companions practiced Sadaqah
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most generous of men, his wives were also very generous and so also were his companions. Zaynab bint Jash (RA), one of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the most generous, she use to work and give out all she made as charity. The Prophet called her "the one with the longest arm" and the people called her umm al-masakin (mother of the poor) because of her alms giving.
Once the Prophet him) urged (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the companions to give sadaqah, Umar bin al-Khattab (RA) brought half of what he owned while Abu Bakr (RA) brought all he had.
During the caliphate of Abu Bakr (RA) and there was a drought and the people were in distress, he told them to remain patient for Allaah will soon relieve them.
Soon, Uthman's (RA) caravan arrived with merchandise from Syria with about a thousand camels, all loaded with foodstuffs. When the news got around Madina, all the great traders of Madina rapidly converged on Uthman's house.
When he met them, they express their desire to purchase the foodstuffs. He then asked them how much profit they were prepared to give him, they said, "Twelve dirhams on every ten dirhams worth". He replied, "But I can get a better price." They said, "Then we will give you fourteen." Uthman (RA) again said that he could get a better price until they offered fifteen dirhams and could not offer any more than that Uthman (RA) still insisted that he can get a better offer, so they asked him who can give him a better price seeing that all the major traders of Madina are all present.
Uthman (RA) said, "I can get ten dirhams for every dirham's worth" and he asked them if any could give a better price than that. No one spoke up. Then Uthman (RA) recited the verse of the Qur'aan where Allaah says:
"Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil deed shall have only the recompense of the like thereof, and they will not be wronged."(Q6:160).
He explained to them that he intended to give away all the foodstuffs to the needy people of Madeenah."
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited