let's learn about Quran and Islam this Ramadan
Gems extracted by Aida Msr - Aida is a fellow sister and friend from Malaysia. She aspires to continuously learn, improve and be a better Muslimah. Today's media age, in which we are constantly exposed...
The believer's shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 604
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Bismillah
Charity Beyond Zakāt
And those in whose riches is a known right. For the beggar (saa’il) & the destitute (mahroom).
{Surat Al-Ma’arij 70: Verse 24-25}
⏺One of the ideal Muslim personalities is captured in Surat Al-Ma’arij where Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’aala) said:
They are those who have no doubt that, in their wealth, there is a constant right that belongs to someone else that is known & reserved.
⏺In Surat Al-Mu’minun, we find a similar ayat that says:
Believers are those who constantly pay the Zakat. {Surah Al Mu’minun 23: Verse 4}
However, the ayat in Surat Al-Ma’arij uses a more general description that further defines the nature of charitable giving.
⏺One of the scholars’ opinions is that this ayat refers to someone who, even after paying zakat, STILL fixes a certain amount of charity to give on a regular basis. Just like we are obligated to pray the fard 5-daily prayers, we are still encouraged to go beyond eg. the nawafil. Similarly, these people are motivated & have the discipline to spend in charity beyond zakat on a regular basis because they want to please Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’aala) & help mankind.
⏺The next ayat describes 2 groups of people to be charitable to:
Saa’il – those who ask for help. This refers to the needy. Those who are born in poverty, whose situation has become so dire & desperate that they ask for help.
Mahroom – those who are deprived financially / materialistically to fulfil their basic needs & are too humble to ask for help from others. This refers to those who don’t always live in poverty but are put in a situation that changed drastically eg. due to natural disasters or financially-hard times. Even though they don’t ask for help, we should not neglect them.
⏺We should be motivated to spend charity beyond zakat on a regular basis. At the end of this passage, Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’aala) said:
Those who have these qualities will dwell in Paradise, honoured.
