Friday Sermon: Spending in the Way of Allah

اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یُحِبُّ مَنۡ کَانَ مُخۡتَالًا فَخُوۡرَا ﴿ۙ۳۶﴾ ۣالَّذِیۡنَ یَبۡخَلُوۡنَ وَ یَاۡمُرُوۡنَ النَّاسَ بِالۡبُخۡلِ وَ یَکۡتُمُوۡنَ مَاۤ اٰتٰہُمُ اللّٰہُ مِنۡ فَضۡلِہٖ ؕ وَ اَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ عَذَابًا مُّہِیۡنًا ﴿ۚ۳۷﴾ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یُنۡفِقُوۡنَ اَمۡوَالَہُمۡ رِئَآءَ النَّاسِ وَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِاللّٰہِ وَ لَا بِالۡیَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّکُنِ الشَّیۡطٰنُ لَہٗ قَرِیۡنًا فَسَآءَ قَرِیۡنًا ﴿۳۸﴾ وَ مَاذَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ لَوۡ اٰمَنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ وَ الۡیَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَ اَنۡفَقُوۡا مِمَّا رَزَقَہُمُ اللّٰہُ ؕ وَ کَانَ اللّٰہُ بِہِمۡ عَلِیۡمًا ﴿۳۹﴾ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَظۡلِمُ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّۃٍ ۚ وَ اِنۡ تَکُ حَسَنَۃً یُّضٰعِفۡہَا وَ یُؤۡتِ مِنۡ لَّدُنۡہُ اَجۡرًا عَظِیۡمًا ﴿۴۰﴾

“Surely Allah does not love such as are proud, boastful, who are miserly and tell people to be miserly and hide what Allah has given them out of His grace. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment — and those who spend their wealth to be seen by people and do not believe in Allah nor in the Last Day. And as for him whose companion is the devil, an evil companion is he! And what (harm) would it do them if they believe in Allah and the Last Day and spend (on good works) out of what Allah has given them? And Allah is ever Knower of them. Surely Allah does not wrong (anyone even by) the weight of an atom; and if it is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward” (The Holy Quran, 4:36–40).

The proud and the boastful are not loved by Allah. Whatever meaning these two words may carry according to a lexicologist, the Quran’s definition is somewhat different. It says proud and boastful is he who is niggardly [i.e., miserly or stingy], he who does not spend money where it should be spent (The Holy Quran, 4:37).

In the verse immediately preceding (4:36), the Quran has mentioned the purposes or occasions where money is to be spent, saying be good to the parents, the near of kin, the orphans, the needy, the neighbour of your kin, the alien neighbour, the companion in a journey, the wayfarer, and all those with whose care a man is entrusted.

One thing should not go unnoticed: priority has been given to the parents. In most countries where the government or the state does not look after the aged people, the parents who do not possess wealth or other means of sustenance often face hardship if their children are neglectful. Even in countries where the state looks after them, the old people, aged and weak, do not have the love and affection they are in dire need of. The state cannot provide that.

Everyone knows with what love and care the parents bring up their children. They spend sleepless nights if any child is in trouble. Do the children show the same love, affection and care when the parents enter the tender age, and on every step they need support? This stage of life is called ‘the worst part of life [see, The Holy Quran, 16:70 and 22:5]’ (اَرۡذَلِ الۡعُمُرِ) in Arabic, the most despicable stage of life. The service of parents has been enjoined in the Holy Quran at five different places.

In the order of priority then comes the near of kin, then orphans, then the needy, then the neighbour of your kin and the alien neighbour. Even a companion in a journey or a wayfarer has been called upon to be looked after. Your servants also belong to the same category on whom money is to be spent because they have been entrusted to your care.

Niggardliness through Influence:

A man or a woman may not be niggardly by nature but is influenced by another person who hesitates to spend in the way of Allah. Such a person has been termed by the Quran as proud and boastful, whose heart does not melt at the distress and misfortune of others. The Quranic expression used for them is:

یَکۡتُمُوۡنَ مَاۤ اٰتٰہُمُ اللّٰہُ مِنۡ فَضۡلِہٖ ؕ

 “concealer of what Allah has given them out of His grace” (The Holy Quran, 4:37).

What a niggardly person conceals and does not spend is not his wealth; God says it has been given to him by Me. Before earning, it was not his, and after he breathes his last, he does not take it with him. Whatever riches a man may possess, he is not their real owner. He is only a vicegerent, only a trustee. A vicegerent can spend up to the limit he has been allowed, not a penny beyond that. Nor can he withhold where he has been directed to spend. If he still considers such wealth to be his, he is trespassing.

There is another class of people, who spend money to be seen of men. They are simulators and have been termed as disbelievers — companions of the devil.

Kinds of Wealth:

It must be borne in mind that Islam does not attach much importance to riches, gold or silver. It rather despises it. After their marriage, Hazrat Khadija (rta) placed her entire wealth at the disposal of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He never felt happy. He used that wealth for alleviating the suffering of others. A time came when he was virtually the king of Arabia. Gold and silver came to him rolling down like a stream, but when he died, his entire personal effects were not worth more than ten pounds.

Islam talks of and exhorts to accumulate another kind of wealth — wisdom:

یُّؤۡتِی الۡحِکۡمَۃَ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ۚ وَ مَنۡ یُّؤۡتَ الۡحِکۡمَۃَ فَقَدۡ اُوۡتِیَ خَیۡرًا کَثِیۡرًا ؕ

“He grants wisdom to whom He pleases. And whoever is granted wisdom, he indeed is given a great good” (The Holy Quran, 2:269).

Hazrat Ali was a great scholar. Eulogizing the wisdom given to him, he says:

“We are well-pleased at the distribution made by Allah Almighty. The knowledge fell to our lot and wealth to the ignorant. The wealth will definitely vanish soon, but for the knowledge, there is no end to it.”

Every prophet brought the Book and the Wisdom. About the Holy Prophet, Allah says:

ہُوَ الَّذِیۡ بَعَثَ فِی الۡاُمِّیّٖنَ رَسُوۡلًا مِّنۡہُمۡ یَتۡلُوۡا عَلَیۡہِمۡ اٰیٰتِہٖ وَ یُزَکِّیۡہِمۡ وَ یُعَلِّمُہُمُ الۡکِتٰبَ وَ الۡحِکۡمَۃَ ٭

“He it is Who raised among the illiterates a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His messages and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom” (The Holy Quran, 62:2).

Wisdom is thus the real wealth. You can earn it by following the Word of Allah and can spend it as much as you can by taking it to the doorsteps of your fellow beings. There are clear orders in the Holy Quran to deliver that which has been revealed from your Lord. For that purpose, unless we share ourselves the knowledge and wisdom revealed through the Holy Prophet, we cannot make others understand it. It is said a candle causes to light another candle. When our own candle is off and the light within is extinguished, what light can we take to others? A blind cannot lead another blind. How many among us have actually read the Holy Quran with its translation? Our inner selves will be illumined only when we possess the knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Quran and act accordingly.

Undoubtedly, Allah is the Fountainhead of the “light.” But that light will reflect in our hearts only when we keep them clean and free from the dust of sins and ill deeds. There is no need calling ourselves Muslims when we do not submit to the will of God. We feel proud of being called torchbearers of Islam. How many among us have taken the Quranic light to the non-Muslims? It is customary to exchange presents and gifts to our Christian friends during the Christmas festival. Would it not be in the fitness of things if we offer to a Christian friend a copy of the Holy Quran this Christmas? We also have small booklets like Islam the Religion of Humanity and Muhammad the Prophet by Maulana Muhammad Ali in our bookshop. These booklets can be had at three pounds for ten copies. This is the minimum we can do and it would not be an unbearable burden on anyone. We can thus introduce Islam to at least five of our Christian friends by spending only three pounds this Christmas.

If we fail to deliver the message for the guidance of mankind, that we are enjoined to do, and again, we pledged to hold Islam above our selves, then the Quran declares that we are among those who:

لَہُمۡ قُلُوۡبٌ لَّا یَفۡقَہُوۡنَ بِہَا ۫ وَ لَہُمۡ اَعۡیُنٌ لَّا یُبۡصِرُوۡنَ بِہَا ۫ وَ لَہُمۡ اٰذَانٌ لَّا یَسۡمَعُوۡنَ بِہَا ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ کَالۡاَنۡعَامِ بَلۡ ہُمۡ اَضَلُّ ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡغٰفِلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۷۹﴾

“… have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. They are as cattle; rather, they are more astray. These are the heedless ones” (The Holy Quran, 7:179).

For niggardliness, the Quran administers a stern warning of complete annihilation:

ہٰۤاَنۡتُمۡ ہٰۤؤُلَآءِ تُدۡعَوۡنَ لِتُنۡفِقُوۡا فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ۚ فَمِنۡکُمۡ مَّنۡ یَّبۡخَلُ ۚ وَ مَنۡ یَّبۡخَلۡ فَاِنَّمَا یَبۡخَلُ عَنۡ نَّفۡسِہٖ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ الۡغَنِیُّ وَ اَنۡتُمُ الۡفُقَرَآءُ ۚ وَ اِنۡ تَتَوَلَّوۡا یَسۡتَبۡدِلۡ قَوۡمًا غَیۡرَکُمۡ ۙ ثُمَّ لَا یَکُوۡنُوۡۤا اَمۡثَالَکُمۡ ﴿٪۳۸﴾

“Look! you are those who are called to spend in Allah’s way, but some of you are miserly; and whoever is miserly, is miserly against his own soul. And Allah is Self-Sufficient and you are needy. And if you turn back He will bring in your place another people, then they will not be like you” (The Holy Quran, 47:38).