2.28. Aspectsof Charity (to be continued)

God says

A kind of word and veiling of another's want is better than charity followed by hurt: -- Q.2:263

.....and choose not for your spending the bad things (to others) which you yourselves would not accept without averting your eyes in disadain. -- Q.2:267

Never shall you attain to tru piety unless you spend on others what you chericsh yourselves; -- Q.3:92

And Neither allow thy hand to remain shackled to thy neck,* nor stretch it forth to the utmost limit (of thy capacity), lest thou find thyself blamed (by thy dependents), or even destitute. -- Q.17:29

* A metaphor signifying miserliness and, in particular, unwillingness to help others (cf. a similar expression in 5:64).

Prophet said

1. "...wealth of a man does not diminish if given in charity..." -- H:Tirmizi. N:Abu Kabshah al-Anmariy.

2. "Spend and don't count lest god couns while giving you, and don't hoard up lest God with holds from you. Spend (on charity) what you can." - H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Asma

3. "Indeed charity decreases wrath of God and removes pangs of death." -- H: Tirmizi. N: Anas.

2.27. CHARITY (concluded)

God says

When [they perceived Qarun’s arrogance,] his people said unto him: “Exult not [in thy wealth], for, verily, God does not love those who exult [in things vain]! Seek instead, by means of what God has granted thee, [the good of] the life to come,* without forgetting, withal, thine own [rightful] share in this world;** and do good [unto others] as God has done good unto thee; and seek not to spread corruption on earth: for, verily, God does not love the spreaders of corruption!”-- Q.28: 76,77

* I.e., by spending in charity and on good causes.

** Lit., “and do not forget …”, etc.: a call to generosity and, at the same time, to moderation (cf. 2: 143 – “We have willed you to be a community of the middle way”)

….and (God-conscious would assign) in their wealth and possessions the due share unto such as might ask [for help] and such as might suffer privation.* -- Q.51:19

* Sc., “but could not beg” – and this applies to all living creatures, whether human beings or mute animals (Razi), irrespective of whether the need is of a physical or of an emotional nature.

Prophet said

1. “Whoever seeks shelter from you in the name of God, give him shelter;

whoever begs in the name of God, give him;…”-- H: Abu Daud, Ahmad and Nisai. N: Ibn Omar.

2. “The best charity is that which is given when one is not (even) wealthy; and begin (charity) first with relatives”– H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abu Hurairah and Hakeem-b-Hezam.

3. “The generous man is near God, near paradise, near people and is far off from hell….”-- H: Tirmizi. N: Abu Hurairah.

2.27. CHARITY (to be continued)

God says

The parable of those who spend their possessions for the sake of God is that of a grain out of which grow seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains: for God grants manifold increase unto whom He wills; and God is infinite, all knowing. They who spend their charity for the sake of God and do not thereafter mar their spending by stressing their own benevolance and hurting [the feelings of the needy] shall have their reward with their Sustainer, and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve. -- Q.2:261,262

O you who believe! Do not deprive your charitable deeds of all worth by stressing your own benevolance and hurting [the feelings of the needy], as does he who spends his wealth only to be seen and be praised by men, and believes not in God and the Last Day: -- Q.2:264

Satan threatens you with the prospect of poverty and bids you to be niggardly, whereas God promises you His forgiveness and bounty; and God is infinite, all-knowing. -- Q.2:268

If you do deeds of charity openly, it is well; but if you bestow it upon the needy in secret, it will be even better for you, and it will atone some of your bad deeds. And God is aware of all that you do.-- Q.271

Prophet said

1. "....Doing justice is charity... and good word is charity... every step he (or she) takes towards prayer is charity... and removing harmful things from pathways is charity (this includes obstructions in the way of others: economical, social, spiritual.)" -- H. Bukhari and Muslim. N. Abu Huraira.

2. "To enjoin good is charity, to forbid evil is charity" -- H. Muslim. N: Bukhari

3. "Every good deed is charity" -- H. Bukhari and Muslim.

4. "God said: spend (on charity), O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you" -- Hadees Qudsi: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abu Huraira.

26. GREED (concluded)

God says

Truly man is to his Lord, ungrateful; and to that (fact) he bears witness (by his deeds); and most ardently devoted is he in his love of wealth. - Q.100:6-8

The mutual rivalry for piling up (worldly things) diverts you (from more serious things), until you go down to your graves. - Q.102:1,2

[Woe unto him] who amasses wealth and counts it a safeguard, thinking that his wealth will make him live forever! * Nay, but [in the life to come such as] he shall indeed be abandoned to crushing torment! And what could make thee conceive what that crushing torment will be? A fire kindled by God, which will rise over the [guilty] hearts: verily, it will close in upon them in endless columns!- Q.104:2-8

*This is a metonym for the tendency to attribute an almost “religious” value to the acquisition and possession of material goods and facilities – a tendency which precludes man for giving any real importance to religious considerations.

Prophet said

“A man says: My property, my property! But, verily, his properties out of his wealth are three: what he puts on and is worn out; what he gives away (in charity) out of what he has hoarded; what is besides that is perishable and he will leave it for people.”-- H: Muslim. N: Abu Hurairah.