Twelfth Ramadan Lecture Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, 1443 A. H.
Zakat & Infaq
Their Importance and Impact on the Reality of the Individual, the Society, and the Ummah
I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.
O Allah, confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
O Allah, guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.
The Holy Quran introduces Zakat and Infaq in the same context of Taqwa and its requirements, and, as we have mentioned in the previous lecture, they are often accompanied with Salat: The command for establishing Salat in the Holy Quran is often accompanied with the command for doing Zakat and Infaq. This occurs a lot in the Holy Quran.
It is well known that Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam, as it is a great obligation and important task, one of the most important obligations prescribed by Allah (Glory be to Him). In addition, it is, as we have mentioned, one of the characteristics of muttaqin and one of the requirements of faith and Taqwa that leads to great and good results when paid (just as the case with good deeds and key obligations) and to bad consequences on people in their life and the Hereafter and on their relationship with Allah when neglected or denied.
The Holy Quran frequently mentions Allah's saying, {‘And establish Salat and give Zakat’}—a command from Allah (Glory be to Him) calling us to establish Salat and give Zakat. {‘And give Zakat’} means that one should hurry to give Zakat when it is due—that is when his/her money reach the Nisab threshold. So when that is the case, you need to move swiftly and willingly to pay it with due care, and do not wait for others to come and take it forcibly and against your will, especially after you sought to evade paying Zakat, which is an act that completely goes counter to faith. {‘And establish Salat’}: As we are commanded to take care of performing Salat in a rewardable way, we are also commanded to seek to pay Zakat.
Do not withhold Zakat and Infaq, for you send forth for yourself!
Of what comes in this context is what the Holy Quran says, {‘And establish Salat and give Zakat and loan Allah a goodly loan’}—so this also includes spending in the cause of Allah and in what He has commanded and encouraged to—{‘And whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah far better and more rewarding’}. Allah in these blessed verses makes us conscious of the fact that what we present of rewardable Salat, Zakat, Infaq, and good deeds is for our own good since He stands in need of no one of us and our deeds (Salat, Zakat, Infaq). He is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy. Therefore, we benefit ourselves from what we do and spend and from our Salat and Zakat, and all of that is for our own good in its educational effects that we do need at the psychological level in the march and reality of our life. Indeed, it is we who do need these things, and they are for our own good: They are for our own benefit and for what we need at the psychological level, the practical level, the level of the reality and the circumstances of life, and the level of the Hereafter, the Hereafter in what comes in the eternal afterlife.
{‘Whatever good you send forth for yourselves’}—it is for yourself! If a person gets affected by stinginess and greed and, as a result, keeps away because s/he considers himself/herself offering something to others out of his/her pocket (s/he considers himself/herself losing, and what he offers as a finical burden, fine, loss, something that went wasted without being benefited from because s/he gave it here or there according to where Allah pointed out), this is a wrong view.
You must rest assured that everything that you send forth (Zakat, alms, or spending in the cause of Allah) you send it forth for yourself. It is added to your record of good deeds and ensures you what is greatly important without any comparison. Indeed, there is no comparison that can be made between spending on yourself for meeting some material needs on the one hand and what you will get when paying Zakat or spending in the cause of Allah—you will get what is more important and what adds to your record that guarantees you great results in this life and the great, great, great goodness in the Hereafter! In some circumstances and at crucial times, the reward for what you spend could be a palace in Jannah and could make you gain an important and great thing in the Jannah of Eternity. You will secure your eternal future through what you add of good deeds, from spending to spending. All of that will grant you eternal happiness and great life, in addition to its immediate benefits in this world, which will become clear to us through what we are going to speak about.
Paying Zakat is of the requirements of faith and Taqwa
In the Holy Quran, in addition to the direct order that commands people to {‘establish Salat, and pay Zakat’} and was repeated over and over again, it is also introduced as one of the faith-based characteristics of the believers and muttaqin. It is also paired with Salat, which indicates that it is of the requirements of Taqwa and faith, for Allah says, {‘those who establish Salat and pay Zakat’}. So {‘those who establish Salat’} is of a frequent occurrence in the Holy Quran and is paired with Allah's saying, {‘And pay Zakat.’} In one of these verses, Allah says, {‘those who establish Salat and pay Zakat and who have faith in the Hereafter’}. These are of the characteristics of the believers and muttaqin, and they are of the requirements of faith and Taqwa.
The expression of {‘and pay’}—which comes in the present form of the verb—indicates continuity. They are not of those who sometimes cannot decide to pay Zakat before listening to a lot of sermons, encouragements, orders, and warnings or being come after; however, if they are ignored and not come after, or if they are not involved in considerable give-and-take, embarrassment, and rebuke, they will take the chance to evade payment of Zakat. It is unfortunate that this is the case of many people when dealing with a great pillar of the pillars of Islam and one of the obligations commanded by Allah (Glory be to Him), even though it is a must for their salvation. Evading paying it, falling short in paying it, and resorting to deception to evade it are reasons for not accepting one's Salat, fasting, deeds, and righteous deeds. (They do not get accepted.) That is because this drives a person away from Taqwa and away from the state of keeping to Taqwa.
We notice that this applies to many people. That is, the percentage of those who give Zakat among those who perform Salat, and of course, they do not establish a rewardable Salat, for they do not feel its effect on their soul—most people try to pay some of their Zakat and withhold some: They do not pay Zakat in full. This is unacceptable. Allah (Glory be to Him) considers that you still have sins and burdens, so you cause Allah's rage to fall on you. Furthermore, this behaviour cannot be justified (when you keep a portion of Zakat for yourself and pay only a portion of it). Maybe, only few (too few) people (those who are believers and muttaqin) hasten with desire, with a sense of responsibility, with devotion to Allah (Glory be to Him), and with consciousness of the importance of paying Zakat and its results of goodness and blessings. Therefore, they pay it all, and they are careful that they do not keep a penny, not even little for them to use . They realize the importance of paying it all, without delaying or postponing, and they hasten to that .
About paying the Zakat of crops, {‘And give its due on the day of its harvest’}: Hasten and hurry. About the one-year period, when trade money and what is alike pass one year, hasten without delay or evasion. Evasion is a reprehensible and unjustified act, but it also indicates misperception and a shortage in belief and is evidence of being far from Taqwa and being affected by the whisper of Shaytan, about whom Allah says, {‘Shaytan threatens you with poverty and bids you to the shameful deed’}. Shaytan whispers to some people to make them think that if they gave Zakat, they would go broke, be in trouble, and lose everything. That is not how a person should think of Zakat at all.
Of what we recited in the lecture about Salat and the establishment of Salat revealed to the prophets (Peace be upon them), Allah (the Almighty) says, {‘And We revealed to them to do good deeds and to establish Salat and pay Zakat’}—Allah pairs it with Salat as He does in many verses and many instructions with the same emphasis and required continuity. {‘And pay Zakat’}: Due to the importance of this matter, it is specifically mentioned with much emphasis. It is a great means of nearness that draws a person nearer to Allah (Glory be to Him) if s/he renders Zakat properly. It is one of the undoubtable things prescribed by Allah in all His messages and for all His prophets (Peace be upon them) throughout history. It is a matter of great faith-based value and positive effect, and it is a great means of nearness to Allah (Glory be to Him).
Zakat and Infaq and their important educational effect
One of the most important impacts of Zakat is its educational impact. People are in need of what helps them purify and heal their souls. Indeed, they need this, for if the soul gets defiled, corrupted, or wicked, it changes to the degree that the person feels hardship in doing goodness and greatly tends towards his/her desires, towards wicked deeds, and towards sins (May Allah forbid).
A person is in need of doing what helps and benefits him/her to purify the soul, discipline it, make it righteous, and improve good feelings in it. This is possible; Allah (Glory be to Him) made it possible, and He orders us, leads us, and guides us to what helps us to cleanse, purify, and increase our kind, positive feelings in our souls. This helps us to move in good deeds with desire, avoid bad deeds, abhor them, hate them, despise them, and avoid tending to them. This is a great, important thing: On the one hand, it leads to the spiritual transcendence of the person and grants him/her great honour, and on the other hand, it is very beneficial to the person at the practical level. That is because a person naturally moves with desire, dignity, and comfort in good, great deeds; also, the soul rises with its purity, with its return to the natural quality, and with getting purified of the bad, evil impurities and residues. It turns with great desire (because of this cleansing, righteousness, and purity) into good deeds. That is why Allah (Glory be to Him) says about the command of Zakat, {‘Take from their wealth alms to cleanse and purify them’}. Zakat has its educational value and good effect at the level of self-discipline, and it purifies the soul of impurities and residues that represent an obstacle that keeps people away from many deeds.
Some people, for example, notice a bad and unusual change towards some good deeds: His/her soul evades them, although they are great, righteous deeds, and see them as heavy burdens, or s/he finds it hard to do most things which are not mainly hard. (The difficulty is in his/her soul.) Impurities and residues have made the soul wicked and affected it, so it needs to be purified.
Among the benefits of Zakat, charity, and Infaq in general is that they, besides Salat and other important matters that Allah has guided us to, help to cleanse the soul of the believer. On this, He says, {‘Take from their wealth alms to cleanse and purify them.’} So they have this very important effect: cleanliness and purification (soul cleanliness and purification), which is very important. Many are the impurities and residues that make the person's soul wicked in a way that results an increase in the bad feelings in his/her consciousness, such as ambitions, whims, desires, and wicked tendencies, as well as materialism—the bad things that hugely affect people and their deeds.
The strong warning directed to those who neglect Zakat
Furthermore, about warnings for not paying Zakat or falling short in paying it, it is considered of the major sins that render a person's good deeds (all s/he has done) into nothing, and then none of the good deeds s/he does gets accepted, including his/her Salat and fasting; all of that does not get accepted. In addition to that, it can lead you into Jahannam (May Allah forbid) and cause Allah's wrath and anger. What a horrible, terrifying matter!
Therefore, warning in the Holy Quran includes this issue specifically; however, this issue also falls within comprehensive warning, which is repeated in the Quran, to the disobedient: {‘And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger will certainly be in the Fire of Jahannam’}. {‘And who disobeys Allah’}—this expression is repeated in the Holy Quran as warning for the disobedient. And a person who does not pay Zakat, pays some part of it while using the other part, or withholds it, is of the disobedient who are meant by this divine warning, because s/he has become a person who is disobedient to Allah (Glory be to Him).
Allah (the Almighty) also says, {‘And woe is to the mushrikin; those who do not pay Zakat’}. So woe is to {‘those who do not pay Zakat’}. When Allah says woe, He refers to His horrible torment that He prepared for them. It's terrible! Therefore, all those who do not pay Zakat or those who pay part of it while using the other part should fear Allah, be mindful of Him, and fear His torment and woe. {‘And woe’}—when Allah says it, what a horrible torment it means, and what a horrible punishment it indicates: {‘And Allah is severe in punishment’}.
About the main reasons for going into the Fire, , {‘What drove you into Saqar?’}: The people of Jannah ask the people of Jahannam, ‘What is it that involved you in such a horrible, terrifying dilemma, which represents an eternal loss?’ {‘They will reply, “We were not of those who perform Salat, nor did we feed the poor”’}. In addition, one of the most important things in Zakat is taking care of the poor and the needy, for a considerable portion from Zakat is given to them. So when people withhold it, they withhold a right appointed for people getting affected: {‘Nor did we feed the poor.’}
There is a hadith narrated about the Messenger (PBUH&F), stressing how Zakat is essential for Salat (even in accepting deeds) that it is a must for accepting Salat. The Prophet (PBUH&F) said, ‘No Salat is complete except with Zakat.’ S/he whose Zakat is due, but s/he does not pay it, his/her Salat is not complete nor accepted. In another narration, ‘Not a Salat is accepted unless with Zakat, and alms is not accepted from who deals unfaithfully.’ Also, another hadith by the Messenger (PBUH&F) says, ‘He who does not pay Zakat, and he who deals with usury are at war with me in this life and in the Hereafter.’
Lack of rain and blessings because of withholding Zakat
We notice how great emphasis is placed on Zakat, its importance, and its role in increasing blessings, wealth, and rain. One of the main reasons of draught, lack of rain, lack of blessings, and water scarcity is stinginess in paying Zakat, not paying Zakat. This is a serious issue, and it causes one to end up a loser.
That is why we say to those who are too stingy to pay Zakat because of their material ambitions, horrible greed, terrible stinginess, and their obsession with money to an insane level, even by material calculations or material interests, if you do want goodness and blessings, then be mindful of Allah when paying Zakat and do not be stingy with paying Zakat. When nonpayment of Zakat becomes a phenomenon among many farmers, and they start to consider it a loss that they should evade, it is a serious issue that can lead to the removal of blessings and so losing the blessings of heavens and the rain they are in need of (everyone needs it). This causes great sufferings to people.
As we suffer from great draught in our country, there is no doubt that among the main reasons is falling short in paying Zakat—it is among the main reasons. So, to repent and turn to Allah (Glory be to Him), we do need to take great care of paying Zakat. However to our astonishment, some people, when told to pay Zakat, feel as if they were told to get their souls out of their bodies! What a huge problem this is for them!
Infaq, just as Zakat, is also paired with Salat and goes parallel with Salat in terms of its importance as it is a great means of drawing near to Allah (Glory be to Him) and plays an important role in obtaining great reward, bounty, and status to Allah (the Almighty). It has also an educational effect. Zakat is linked to Nisab: the Nisab of what is planted on the earth, the Nisab of trade money and what is alike to it, and Nisab in livestock according to specific, known numbers. A person who is assigned to pay Zakat has to know and to respond to relative authorities, which clarify to him/her, follow him/her, and help him/her to pay his/her Zakat.
Infaq in the cause of Allah is a religious responsibility and a faith-based commitment
On the other hand, Infaq is a wide circle, wider than Zakat. Part of Infaq is related to spending in the cause of Allah (the Almighty), and there is a lot of encouragement in the Holy Quran, such as Allah's saying, {‘Spend in the cause of Allah and do not let your own hands throw you into destruction . And do good, for Allah certainly loves the good-doers’}. {‘Spend in the cause of Allah’} is a command from Allah (Glory be to Him) to spend in His cause, and it includes Jihad for His sake and all that is related to it. It is also considered to be Jihad with wealth, and the Holy Quran repeats this command a lot: {‘Carry out Jihad with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah’}. In addition, it is among our responsibilities: Infaq in the cause of Allah is one of our religious and faith-based responsibilities and commitments. It does not require reaching specific Nisab, nor is it connected to a specific Nisab; it depends on the person's state of living, circumstances, and capabilities. A person whose circumstances are fair according to his/her circumstances and who lives in plenty according to his/her circumstances; however, even a person with modest capabilities should hasten according to his/her circumstances. This matter is related to a person's circumstances, but it is also of the responsibilities and of the religious and faith-based commitments. That is because we have to carry out Jihad in the cause of Allah, and our Jihad in the cause of Allah is with wealth (as confirmed in many verses in the Holy Quran) and with soul. And our commitment that is related to wealth, as we have mentioned, depends on our circumstances.
The Ummah and our people face lots of challenges in this critical period, which is one of the most important periods of Jihad in the cause of Allah with soul and money. Indeed, stinginess leads to destruction, for in case the Ummah withhold in stinginess, it will be weak; its Jihad will be weakened if supply is insufficient or not available. This means that Jihad will stop and the Ummah will be defeated and controlled by its enemies. In other words, the Ummah's stinginess, denial of its responsibilities, and greed to pay money for what Allah has ordered leads to its total destruction, the dominance of the enemies, and its destruction in religion and in life. It is a very serious issue.
Infaq is often mentioned with Salat; more than that, it is linked to faith itself at times—faith is more general and bigger than Salat. (However, this does not minimize the value or importance of Salat, but faith is still the main title.) So Infaq is sometimes linked to the title of faith, and this highlights its importance. Allah (Glory be to Him) says about Infaq, {‘those who establish Salat and spend out of the gifts We have given them for sustenance’}. This shows how Infaq is associated with Salat and uses a verb form that indicates continuity: {‘And spend out of the gifts We have given them for sustenance.’} So they continually spend because that has to do with fulfilling a constant responsibility: Jihad in the cause of Allah (Glory be to Him).
Allah also says, {‘Believe in Allah and His messenger and spend out of that in which He has made you successors’}; He connects between Infaq and faith in order to highlight the importance of Infaq. {‘And spend out of that in which He has made you successors’}: The sustenance Allah has given you is a blessing from Him; you and what you have belong to Allah (Glory be to Him). Indeed, He is the possessor of you, your sustenance, the heavens, and the earth; He has made you successors in what He has given you so that you use it according to your responsibilities—this is part of these responsibilities.
Divine guarantees of multiplied compensation for those who spend money for the sake of Allah
{‘For those who have believed among you and spent, there will be a great reward’}: They will benefit, for their reward will be great and tremendous reward, part of which is in life (blessings, compensation, great care in many things, etc.) and the other part of it is in their eternal, splendid, and important future in the Hereafter.
Allah says,{‘Who is it that will lend to Allah a good loan which Allah will multiply for them, and they will have honourable reward’}. This verse makes one feel shy of Allah; it has deep meaning and great significance. Allah (Glory be to Him) knows the stinginess, greed, and tight-fistedness of lots of people about money, as well as how difficult it is for them to spend. He offers them a guarantee that He will compensate what they spend, replace it, bestow great reward upon them, and grant them very much more than what they spend, in addition to generous reward (generous in the sense that it is extreme in its range and high in its quality and that it will be presented in a way that reflects respect and dignity). What do we want more than that?! Allah calls it a ‘loan’ and uses this title to assure us that He will give us more and more that is better, nicer, and more beneficial than what we spend. {‘Who is it that will lend to Allah a good loan?’}—in accordance with Allah's teachings, out of a faith-based motive, out of his/her lawfully gained money that is paid in a way full of devotion and respect, in a way that draws him/her near to Allah, and in a way that is free from evil-provoking causes, reminders of generosity, hurtfulness, and deed-voiding causes—{‘Allah will multiply for them’}: Allah (Glory be to Him) will give him/her much more, and s/he {‘will have honourable reward’}.
Allah also says about alms (actually, there are alms other than Zakat that are given to the poor and needy), {‘Indeed, those men and women who give in charity, and lend to Allah a goodly loan will have it multiplied for them, and they will have a honourable good reward’}—the same phrase ‘multiplied and honorable reward’. What do you want more than obtaining Allah's reward that is great and generous (that is generous in its abundance and in the honourable way it will be presented to you)?
This demonstrates the importance of Infaq and its association with Salat in some verses and faith in other ones. There is a relationship between faith and Infaq in many aspects, for Infaq serves as a faith-based criterion that manifests the truthfulness of your faith. In this criterion, trust in Allah comes first. He commands you to spend, and He at the same time gives you His word to multiply your spending, which He calls a ‘loan’. He gives you a firm promise that He will multiply what you spend and will generously reward it. If one continues to withhold in stinginess after this guarantee and true promise from Allah, Who never breaks His promise, what does that mean? It means that s/he is not certain of Allah's promise. Indeed, s/he is not certain of Allah's promise. In contrast, if one responds with trust in Allah's promise, this shows his/her strong faith. However, stinginess indicates lack of trust in Allah's promise and manifests a defect and problem in one's faith. Allah says, {‘And whatsoever you spend of anything , He will replace it. And He is the Best of providers’}—a firm promise! Don’t you trust the promise of Allah?!
With regard to spending in the cause of Allah, some of it goes to the military preparation, {‘Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power’}. Even at the personal level, when you prepare yourself, buying a weapon or ammunition to fight in the cause of Allah, it falls into the category of Infaq for the sake of Allah. To encourage doing so, at the end of the verse {‘Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power’}, Allah says, {‘Whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be paid to you in full and you will not be wronged’}.
In addition, the relationship between Infaq and faith also includes the fact that Infaq is one of the main deeds in faith. You cannot reach to the level of true faith, have the characteristics of the believers and muttaqin, and be among the righteous unless you keep to doing these deeds: {‘You will never achieve righteousness until you donate some of what you cherish. And whatever you give is certainly well known to Allah’}.
Besides, Infaq is a proof of your appreciation of Allah's blessings given to you, response to His blessings, and sincere intention to thank Him: {‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more’}. All what you have, such as money, potentials, and all what Allah has bestowed upon you—whatever level this provision is, according to the people's varying abilities—is from Allah, to Whom you must be thankful. Part of thankfulness is Infaq: Do you spend and simultaneously thank Allah the Beneficent and the Generous, to Whom belongs all the blessings you have: {‘Whatever blessings you have are from Allah’}. In contrast, the state of stinginess that keeps you away from spending is a state of ingratitude and lack of appreciation of the blessings of Allah. This is very important .
Of the important effects and results of Infaq
In addition, one of the most important motives that have to do with the faith-based aspects of Infaq is its spiritual effect that strengthens the soul and helps boosting faith-based values and meanings in it: {‘as an affirmation of their own faith’}—seeking nearness to Allah and high rank with Him. It also plays a role in purifying the soul from miserliness so that it does not become an evil soul where miserliness gets deeply rooted. It is a very serious state, which is a combination between stinginess and greed about money.
Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {‘And those who are protected from the miserliness of their souls are the successful’}. The state of miserliness is very serious because it is the reason behind lots of abuses and crimes that a person may commit due to his/her intense, enormous greed and his/her hysteric materialistic ambitions—extravagant and overriding ambitions and inordinate greed. This is a result of covetousness, stinginess towards other people's rights, and greed that causes him/her to take, eat, deal with, and collect unlawful money, which eventually leads him/her to Jahannam (May Allah forbid). However, Infaq has a positive spiritual effect that protects his/her soul from miserliness—it is a very important matter that every person is in need of.
When it comes to seeking the great reward that Allah has promised, one of the most important deeds for obtaining nearness to Allah in terms of reward and bounty that has to do with what Allah grants you in your future in the Hereafter and with what reflects well on your life, is Infaq, starting from spending in the cause of Allah:
{The parable of those who spend their wealths in the way of Allah is that of a grain that has germinated seven ears; in each ear are a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies for whom He wills. And Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. Those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah and do not follow their charity with reminders of their generosity or hurtful words—they will get their reward from their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.}
Allah multiplies the reward for spending in His cause to a marvelous extent that astonishes the person. Indeed, a person cannot but be astonished at such tremendous and generously multiplied reward: The minimum level of the multiplication reaches to seven hundred times. If a person, for example, spends one thousand riyals, his/her reward will be multiplied as if s/he has spent seven hundred thousand rials. Similarly, if a merchant spends one million, his/her reward multiplies to seven hundred million rials! The multiplication of reward is enormously great—this is the minimum level!
After that, Allah says, {‘And Allah multiplies for whom He wills.’} The multiplication may take place because of some factors and considerations, such as the nature of the circumstances in which a person has spent , the level of his/her devotion to Allah (Glory be to Him), the distance between him/her and nullifiers and spoilers, and the level of his/her Istiqama—the circumstances during the time of Infaq and his/her devotion to Allah (Glory be to Him). Also, there are other points of consideration that cause the rewards to be multiplied to greater extent. Some narrations say, ‘Until the morsel becomes like the mountain of Uhud.’ That means that a morsel becomes like a big mountain .
A believer should seek the great reward that Allah has promised because the believer hopes to have Allah's favour, wants to get what is with Allah, and is aware of the value of what Allah offers, which is very attractive. He offers us a very tempting offer, how can a person ignore it?! If s/he does not want it, then s/he is weak in faith, does not place his/her hope in Allah (Glory be to Him), or does not trust His promise.
The great social and educational effects of Infaq
All of this is of great importance. In addition, Infaq has its social effects among the members of society. To whom is the main part of Infaq directed? It is directed to society, {‘Say, “Whatever donations you give are for parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, and travelers”’}. So it is directed to these groups in society, starting from the family of the person (his/her relatives, for s/he should maintain connection with them, sympathize with the poor among them, and support the needy) and then expanding to others among society, including orphans, the needy, needy travelers, and the poor. Taking care of them has a great impact on the community.
This, in the first place, is a humanitarian, faith-based phenomenon. The state of compassion and charity among the people of the same society, as well as the state of sympathy and mercy, is a faith-based state and of the requirements of faith: Allah says about His believing slaves, {‘compassionate with one another’}, and He also says about them, {‘and enjoined upon one another patience and enjoined upon one another compassion’}. So, in addition to attaining faith, they have humanitarian concerns: They have a living conscience, sympathy, and the motive of faith, and all of these factors combine together and create a state of consolation and charity among them. Hence, they sympathize with the poor and the needy and feel bad for the circumstances of one another. So their consciences are not dead, and they do not have insensitive feelings so that they can see tragedies occurring to some among them without caring for one another: One eats and gets stuffed while s/he sees the other hungry, striving, and searching for what to eat (even in garbage). S/he sees his/her neighbors suffer and do not even have the basic subsistence, while s/he keeps eating. S/he may even get sick for how much s/he eats, and that causes him/her health problems. S/he is full, while hungry people surround him/her; s/he generally sees many people live in distress, hardship, poverty, and suffering, but s/he does not care, as if it were a rock or a solid stone in place of his/her heart, so they have no feelings.
The state of faith is different; it is a state of compassion, and, as we said, it is combination of a living conscience, humanitarian feelings, and faith-based motives. So one has every motive to exercise compassion and sympathy and feel pain for the conditions of the miserable, the hungry, and sufferers. Therefore, such a person turns to console them with all respect, love, keenness, and desire. The state of faith may even raise the human sometimes to the state of Ithar : {‘And they give food—despite their desire for it’}.
This educational effect has its importance as a humanitarian, faith-based phenomenon that has a great impact on compassion among the people in society and, therefore, on brotherhood, and love among the people in society as well as on pushing back a lot of evil and harm.
The negative and serious consequences of stinginess
When a person who is poor, miserable, and destitute notices the others around him/her (who are rich and have big wealth and financial means) paying no attention to his/her miserable condition, being careless about his/her great suffering, neglecting how hungry s/he and his/her family are, and paying no attention to his/her too difficult situation even at the level of Zakat and the level of doing good and righteousness, his/her heart will be full of negative feelings towards them . Moreover, s/he will think of them as too stingy, greedy, and inhumane. As a result, s/he may hate them at the very least. And, some may hold a grudge against them or consequently commit bad crimes: burglary, theft, and looting crimes. Therefore, at minimum, some will only hate them, see them as savage people, see that they have no goodness in them, have no human traits, and lack conscience. Then, as a result, a state of division and discord spreads in society.
Among the worst things is when such negative phenomena appear in our society. Then foreign organizations come to introduce themselves in a different way: As if you, Muslims, had no conscience, had no humanity, had no goodness in you, and had no kindness. There come foreign organizations from the countries of the Jews, Christians, kafirin, and mushrikin to introduce themselves as people of charity, good deeds, and humanity, whereas you have none of them. Therefore, they gain the sympathy of the poor, who see that their surrounding society does not pay attention to them, to their misery, and to their sufferings. It is definitely a serious issue, for these organizations have political motives as well as evil goals and desires. Therefore, it is not appropriate for Muslim society to be stingy or to be a society that lacks mercy, humanity, and consolation; it cannot and must not be like that.
The alternative to Infaq, generosity, and charity is stinginess and miserliness. Stinginess is a very bad state, as it is one of the most shameful traits a person may have. It even falls into the category of shameful acts, for how ugly and bad this trait is: Allah (Glory be to Him) said, warning those who are stingy, {‘those who are stingy and promote stinginess among people’}—because the stingy, most of them, do not only keep away from spending but also discourage other people from giving Zakat or spending in the cause of Allah and enjoin other people to stinginess. {‘And hide what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounties.’} To avoid paying Zakat and spending, they hide . That is why Allah threatens them: {‘And We have prepared for the disbelievers a disgraceful torment’}. This is an act of blessing denial and rejection of faith commitments. So Allah has prepared for them a humiliating punishment because they deserve to be humiliated and deserve torment.
In addition, stinginess causes people to lose blessings and welfare: {‘So We seized them for what they used to commit’}—so blessings and welfare begin to disappear. Indeed, being stingy with Zakat, for example, is a breach of trust. That is because Allah has given the poor a right in your money: {‘and who gives the rightful share of their wealth, to the beggar and the poor’}. So you take their rightful share and betray what you are entrusted with. This is very serious.
The categories eligible for Infaq
In terms of the categories eligible for Infaq, Allah says, {‘They ask you what they should spend. Say, “Whatever good you spend”’}—whatever good which includes any good that Allah has given you and bestowed upon you—{‘for parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, and travelers. Whatever good you do is certainly well known to Allah”’}. Also, He says, {‘ for the needy who are too engaged in the cause of Allah to move about in the land. Those unfamiliar with their situation will think they are not in need because they do not beg. You can recognize them by their appearance. They do not beg people persistently. Whatever good you spend is certainly well known to Allah’}. He knows, and He will reward you with good of what He has promised. What you spend cannot escape Him so that He (Glory be to Him) would forget you. He says, about Infaq in His cause, {‘Spend in the cause of Allah and do not let your own hands throw you into destruction . And do good, for Allah certainly loves the good-doers’}. He says about Zakat (alms) and its categories, {‘The alms are only for the poor, the needy, those employed to collect these, those whose hearts are to be won, in slaves, in those in debt, in the way of Allah and for a wayfarer - this being prescribed by Allah. And Allah is Knowing’}.
That is enough for today.
We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah (Glory be to You), have mercy on our martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are All-Hearing! O Allah, accept our fasting, night prayers, and good deeds.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.