PHILANTHROPY: THE CHALLENGES TO THE MUSLIM UMMAH
Hassan I. Tahir
Philanthropy refers to the act of helping the poor and those in need, especially by giving money.
And any rich person who helps the poor and those in need is refers to as a PHILANTROPIST.
As we all might have known, Allah (SWT) does not create, do and enjoin anything without
reason. Allah (SWT) said in Q 23: 115:
Did you think that We had created you in play
(Without any purpose) and that you would not
be brought back to us?”
Allah (SWT) is categorically telling us that, there is always a purpose for whatever He does, In a
verse of the Glorious Qur’an, He told us the reason for creating man and Jinn. He says:
“And I (Allah) did not create Jinn and mankind
except to worship Me” Q51:56
Whatever blessing Allah bestows upon His servant is a test and challenge to him. (The servant)
Allah says:
“Verily We have created man from drops of
mixed semen (Sexual discharge of man and woman)
in order to test him; So We made him hearer and seer” Q 76:2
Allah also said:
Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion; and He
is Able to do all things. Who created death and life that
He may test you, which of you is best in deed. And He
is the All-mighty, Oft-forgiving” Q67:1-2
Thus, the life in general and all it entails is a test and challenge. You either show your
appreciation and gratitude to Allah by following His Commandments and making judicious use
of what ever blessing He bestows upon you, or be ungrateful by disobeying Him and making use
of what is bestowed upon you wrongly. Allah says in Q64: 15-16
“Certainly, your wealth and your Children are only a trial,
whereas Allah! With him is a great reward. So keep your
duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can; listen and
obey and spend in charity; that is better for you
yourselves. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness,
then they are the successful ones” Q64:15-16
Allah (SW T) clearly and categorically made us to understand that our wealth and children are
only a test and trial whether we are going to thank Allah by being dutiful to Him or we are going
to be ungrateful. So Allah enjoined upon us to be dutiful to Him to the best of our ability and we
should be PHILANTROPIC (helping the poor and those in need)
Islam is a “Deen” (Religion and way of life) that teaches, preaches, enjoin and encourages mercy,
generosity, and support to mankind in general and the poor and the needy in particular.
If Allah (SWT) enriches anyone, He has certainly smoothened and simplified for him his path to
Jannah (Paradise). In a Hadith transmitted by Bukhari; it was reported that the poor Companions
of the Prophet (SAW) came to Him and said:
“ The wealthy ones has taken all the rewards, they pray like us,
they fast like us, and they give in charity the excess of their wealth…”
Whatever blessing Allah bestows on anyone he needs to show his gratitude and appreciation to
Allah. If one shows his gratitude and appreciation to Allah; He increases the blessings for him.
Allah says:
“If you give thanks (By being dutiful), I will give you more
(of my blessings), but if you are thankless (Undutiful)
verily my punishment is indeed severe” Q 14:7
One of the most important and incumbent ways of showing gratitude and appreciation to Allah
for enriching one is by spending that wealth in the course of Allah most especially on the needy
and the poor. Allah says:
“So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can;
listen and obey, and spend in charity that is better for yourselves.
And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, then they
are the successful ones. Q64: 16
Allah also says:
“And march in the way which leads to forgiveness from your Lord,
and for paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared
for the pious. Those who spend (in Allah’s course) in prosperity
and adversity, who repress anger and pardon people; Allah
loves the good-doers. Q3: 133-134
In a Hadith transmitted by Bukhari and Muslim; the Prophet (SAW) said” Envy is not allowed in
Islam except on two things. A man enriched by Allah and he is able to spend it in the right course.
And the man endowed with wisdom who judges with it and teaches it to others” and envy here
refers to wishing something like the one given to the person.
If Allah enriches somebody and he spends it in the right course (i.e. by spending on the poor and
the needy, supporting his brothers and other course of Islam) Allah put more blessing in his
wealth and enrich him the more.
Allah says:
“As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah
and fears Him, and believes in the Best (I.e. either Lailah illa llah
or Jannah). We will make smooth for him the path of ease
(goodness). But he who is greedy and miser and thinks himself
self-sufficient. And belies the best (i.e Lailaha ilah llah). We
will make smooth for him the path for evil. And what will
his wealth avail him when he goes down (in destruction?
Truly! On us is (to give) guidance. And truly! Unto Us
(belong) the Last (hereafter) and first (this world). Therefore
I have warned you of a blazing fire (hell). None shall enter
it save the most wretched. Who denies and turns away.
And the pious and the righteous will be far removed from it
(hell) He who spends his wealth for increase in self-purification.
Q92: 5-18
In a Hadith transmitted by Bukhari, the Prophet (SAW) said:
“ Every day there are two angels that always come down,
one of them will be saying; Oh Allah replace for him
that spends out of his wealth and the second angel will be
saying ; Oh Allah bring loss and destruction for him that
does not spend out his wealth…
The support and mercy shown by a man to his brothers determine the support, assistance and
mercy he gets from Allah. If he assists his brother Allah assists him and vice versa. If he is
merciful to his brothers Allah will be merciful to him.
The prophet (SAW) said in a Hadith:
Allah helps and supports His servant so long as he (the servant)
supports and helps his brothers”
He (Prophet) also said:
“ Be merciful to those on earth, and the one (Allah) will be merciful to you”.
The most disheartening and perplexing thing in our society today is the refusal of the Ummah to
give not only the voluntary charity but even the compulsory one (Zakkat), which serves as a
means of cleansing and blessing from Allah.
Allah says:
“ Of their wealth, take alms that you might cleans and purify
them with it; and pray on their behalf, verily your prayers are
sources of security for them; and Allah is One who hears and knows.
May Allah in his infinite mercy enrich and bless us also give us the fortitude to spend in the right
course throughout our lives. We know the economic situation of the country is bad but if our
brothers and sisters are willing to assist each other; life will be better for every body. Thus, some
of the hardship we are facing toady is not only caused by the economic situation but also by the
refusal of most of us to assist our brothers and sisters. Allah did not destined that all of us will be
rich, and in order to alleviate the problem of the poor and the needy; He enjoined on us to take
Zakkah and charity from those who have for the have-nots