Charity can be divided as sadaqah (voluntary donations for the sake of Allah) and zakat (mandatory donation and a pillar of faith). Missing your zakat can be seen as similar to missing your Salah, another pillar in Islam.
Despite charity being one of the biggest obligations of a Muslim, we still hesitate to give. We overlook the importance of spreading wealth. We expect things to improve automatically yet we hoard wealth with a passion. We fill our hearts with the love of the dunya rather than the love of Allah. The only money that is to our name is that which is spent in the way of Allah. In the Qur’an, Allah promises on over 20 different occasions that charity brings forth increased rizq and barakah; Shaytaan makes the opposite promise just once. This leads to the question – we believe IN Allah swt, but do we actually BELIEVE Allah swt? Allah makes the promise of charity in the Qur’an, yet how many of us truly act upon it without hesitation? The transactional nature of donations today online have made it more of a passive deed, rather than a conscious effort. How will we be able to stand on the day of Judgement with the likes of Abu Bakr RA who said all that is left for his family is Allah and His Messenger SAW. Abu Bakr RA donated all his wealth on two occasions – once during the Hijra and then at the battle of Tabuk, SubhanAllah. The focus on monetary donation is because in this period, every penny was needed so much that the value of this donation was incredibly unique. Without money, it would have been very difficult for the Muslims to migrate to Madinah, survive and prosper independently from the Qur’aysh.
Furthermore, Zakat is often not given its due worth and purpose. As Muslims, many of us have wealth in excess of the zakat threshold; it is our obligation to be responsible and honest in our calculations and pay zakat on time. If we don’t spread our wealth effectively then how can we ever expect to benefit or thrive as an ummah. We ought to do more. Not just by supporting short term projects which are excellent and essential, but long term establishments; masajid, schools, religious institutions, organisations and charities. We must become established in society and be able to have our own voice and engage in meaningful dialogue. This happens through community action, which is fuelled by funding in lesser economically developed areas across the world. We must support those that stand for the truth – Allah commands us to enjoin good and forbid evil, this is a simple yet powerful way of doing so. Charity is not just a question of who can give the most money – it’s contradictory that you give large sums of money to charity but as a person you are bitter, unfair and selfish towards others and behave arrogantly. For those of us who don’t have such large sums of money, charity starts at home: emptying the dishwasher, doing the hoover, setting the table are all simple yet meaningful tasks. Being there for your family in times of need is far more precious and valuable than writing a cheque at a charity dinner. Uttering a kind word to your parents, being respectful and patient are all virtues of the people of Paradise. Surely we should also focus on these aspects of refining our character? This reminder is first and foremost to myself, May Allah forgive us all for our sins and shortcomings and allow us to make use of our time. May Allah allow us to be of those that reflect on His Deen and implement it in our lives, may Allah allow us to be under His shade on the day of judgment through our charity. Ameen
