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Alhamdulillah, Summa
Alhamdulillah, I continue today
the fourth part of my sermon on Financial Sacrifice.
Today, we will delve
into the meaning of the Bait'ul-Maal? The expression “Bait'ul-Maal”
is a combination of two words, namely “Bait” (which means “House”) and “al-Maal”
(which means “the Wealth”). The meaning of this compound name literally means
“House of Wealth” or “Treasury House”, where wealth is accumulated and
preserved.
Today we know the Bai'ul-Maal as a record of many financial transactions, whether it is in businesses, in governments, and especially also in the field of the Deen of Islam where many people contribute and all are recorded in many well detailed books and even deposited in the bank.
A long time ago, the
concept of Bait'ul-Maal was also in other aspects or means other than
money, at the time when people did not give only gold and silver but also
camels, oxen, gardens, etc. in the Bait'ul-Maal.
And among all the
financial managers, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was a very good financier, who knew
how to preserve the wealth of the Muslims and he knew how to distribute that
wealth in an exemplary manner.
And one of these great
qualities is that he (pbuh) was not stingy. He tried to please everyone without
being unfair. In a Hadith Hazrat ‘Umar (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah
(pbuh) distributed some wealth and I said to him, "O Messenger of Allah!
Do you not think that there are other people who are more deserving than these
whom you gave." He (pbuh) said, "They had, in fact, left no
alternative for me except either they should beg of me importunately or they
would regard me as a miser; but I am not a miser." (Muslim)
So, we see that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) monitored very closely the people so that they did not go about and spread vain talks about him, and like a prophet (pbuh) he did everything to please them all.
There is an anecdote
where a Bedouin stopped the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and demanded from him that he
(pbuh) give him one of the gifts that Allah has given him (that is, from the
booty of war). The Hadith is as follows: Hazrat Anas bin Malik (ra) narrated: While
I was walking with the Prophet (pbuh) who was wearing a Najrani outer garment
with a thick hem, a bedouin came upon the Prophet (pbuh) and pulled his garment
so violently that I could recognize the impress of the hem of the garment on
his shoulder, caused by the violence of his pull. Then the bedouin said,
"Order for me something from Allah's Fortune which you have." The
Prophet (pbuh) turned to him and smiled, and ordered that a gift be given to
him. (Bukhari)
We see here how our
prophet (pbuh) was a great model of virtue. Despite the fact that people,
especially the Bedouins of the desert, were acting wildly against him, making
demands, but he kept smiling despite the brutal way they acted, regarding their
demands to gain something from the Bait'-ul-Maal. So, this is an example
that I have just put before you regarding the gift that came from Bait'ul-Maal,
which is the property of the Ummah, and which during the lifetime of the
prophet (pbuh), it is him - with the guidance of Allah - who had priority over these
wealth. He was the one who took care of it, and the final decision came from
him.
This is the great
lesson that our beloved master Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has shown us, but we also
need to know that there are also limits that must not be exceeded.
The Prophet (pbuh) was
also a human being with many feelings, and when people wronged him behind his
back, it caused him a lot of grief. So, when the heart of a prophet bleeds,
then Allah himself comes to his support and judge in his favour, because the prophet
(pbuh) most of the time remained quiet, but there were times where he had
to stand up before the assembly of the believers to make them understand that
they should not do such and such things, because it is not good for them in
front of Allah.
There is an anecdote
where another Bedouin gave - this time - the Prophet (pbuh) a gift - here, it
was not someone who demanded a gift from Bait'ul-Maal but on the contrary
it was he who was offering the Prophet a personal gift. This anecdote (Hadith)
is as follows:
Narrated Hazrat Abu
Hurairah (ra): "A man from Banu Fazarah gave a gift to the Prophet
(pbuh) of a she-camel from his camels which they had taken at Al-Ghabah. So he
reciprocated for it with something in return, but he was upset with it. So I heard
the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), upon [this] [on the] Minbar saying: 'Indeed one
of the men from the Bedouins gave me a gift so I reciprocated for it to the
extent of what I had. Then he became very upset with me. By Allah! After my
experience with this Bedouin man, I shall not accept a gift from anyone except
from a Quraishi, Ansari, Thaqafi, or Dawsi.'" (Tirmidhi)
We see here how the
behaviour of this person affected the prophet (pbuh) so much so that he was forced
to come to the Minbar (pulpit) to make the announcement in one of his
speeches. The prophet (pbuh) was the best example for the Ummah, and today as
well he is still the best example and he will remain the best example for the
entire Ummah until the Day of Resurrection. But many people hurt his
heart. Here, it is not the property of Bait'ul-Maal that I am talking
about, but it is about gifts (giving and receiving gifts). As you know, giving
gifts increases friendship and strengthens bonds. But a person should not
expect that if he gives a gift to his Muslim brother or sister – if that person
is rich (and can afford give him a valuable return gift) – that automatically,
if another person gives him a gift in return, and that person is not too rich
and is giving him the gift according to his means, so the person should not be
offended by the gift that he is receiving from that other [not so rich] person.
Bear in mind that when anyone among you offers a gift to someone else, then the
receiver should not have any negative thought. Do not think that: "Oh! I'm
giving a gift, so I want to receive a gift in exchange for the gift I just
gave." (No!)
Bear in mind that when you give a gift, then it is your
choice – and the giving of any gift to anyone should not be done for show (as
an ostentation) but only for the pleasure of Allah. Bear in mind that if the
other person does not have the same means as you, so, if you are doing all this
for the pleasure of Allah, then it is Allah who will put Barakat (blessings)
in your money and your wealth, and return this wealth – in another form – to
you, in much greater quantity than you spent by giving away for the pleasure of
Allah.
It all depends on your intention. And the best example of
piety, humility, wisdom, and courage for all of us Muslims is Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh).
Although he was a prophet with a great status in the eyes
of Allah, he acted with humility. Although he was the king of Arabia, he did
not have a throne. His throne was Taqwa (piety - fear of Allah).
Although he was the poorest in material terms, he was the richest spiritually.
Hazrat ‘Abd Allah bin Busr (ra) narrated: “I gave the
Prophet (pbuh) a gift of a sheep, and the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sat on his
knees to eat. A Bedouin said: ‘What is this sitting?’ He said: ‘Allah has made
me a humble and generous slave (of Allah) and has not made me arrogant and
stubborn.’” (Ibn Majah)
This is the excellent character of our beloved prophet
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). He was himself the most righteous among all the people and
he even made this prophecy: "From your caliphs there will be one in the
Last Days who will distribute wealth without counting it." (Muslim)
We pray that Islam comes to this great peak (of glory and
victory) where material wealth comes in great numbers, not to fill the pockets
of Muslims but to help the Divine Cause in an exemplary way, and to also help
the poor in distress and to enable the equitable distribution of wealth in the
world. Poverty can be misfortune or even happiness for someone. If he is a
believer who submits to the will of Allah, then despite being poor, he will
find his peace and happiness in Allah. He would certainly have been happy to obtain
wealth only to spend it in the path of Allah. What I am telling you, we find it
in the example of the Ashab-e-Suffa at the time of the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
They were very poor people, so poor that they did not have any food to eat, but
they preferred to follow the prophet and learn the Deen from him. Although
they were poor materially speaking, they were rich spiritually. They were rich
in terms of knowledge and their degree of piety was raised a little more for
the sacrifices they were making for the Cause of Allah. They didn't have money.
Sometimes, to fill the Bait'ul-Maal, they went to work, seeking a small job,
like sweeping the market only to earn a little money to give in the path of
Allah, to fill the Bait'ul-Maal. This is the example of excellence in
terms of sacrifice. And as an example of those who were rich, like I mentioned
before you, there was Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) and the other Khulafa-e-Rashideen
(Righteous Caliphs) who sacrificed their wealth in the path of Allah. They
agreed to give in Allah's way without hesitation. They were not afraid to
become poor if ever they gave in the Way of Allah. No! This is the spirit of
sacrifice that you need to cultivate in yourselves. You have to have that love
to spend in the path of Allah, not to please anyone, not even your
Khalifatullah, to show to this humble servant that you are contributing. No!
But do it for Allah, and even tomorrow, even if I am here or not, that spirit
of sacrifice should continue for the progress of Islam in the world.
Don't think that when the money goes into the Bait'ul-Maal,
that you amuse yourselves with this money, that you can spend it on useless and
very expensive things. Remember that this money is the sweat; it is the
sacrifice of all the believers, who have sacrificed everything they have, even
if it is a small amount or big amount, but they have given it all with pleasure
in the path of Allah.
Bear in mind that the one who steals the property of Allah,
even if no one sees him, but Allah sees him. So, have the fear of Allah and act
in the most honest way to manage the property of Allah, of Islam, Sahih al
Islam on earth. Don't let Satan ever divert you from the right path. Stay
straight, walk straight, and Allah will keep you straight. Preserve the good of
the Ummah, and that the Jamaat with your life.
Bear in mind that Allah will test His servants from time to
time. Don't become stingy in His path. Spend for His cause and Allah will spend
on you.
Bear in mind that it is in spending - spending in the way
of Allah - that there is tranquility. In spending, only in appearance, it may
seem that someone is running out of money, but in fact, he earns so much in
return that he cannot even take an account of it. On one hand you give and on
the other hand Allah will give this back to you by increasing its number (or in
another form). You may not find it in this world, but you will certainly find
it in the afterlife. Spending in the way of Allah will be a source of
tranquility for you, and you will gain the pleasure of Allah.
Follow the example of
our beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). We can say that he was himself in
distress and poor, but in whatever he had, he gave in the path of Allah. And
despite the fact that he had every right to take from the Bait'-ul-Maal
to live, he did not do it except in extreme necessity. He received many gifts,
and it was those gifts that helped him, but he also gave back something as gifts
as much as his means allowed.
So, give in the path of
Allah, and bear in mind that there will be trials that will befall you. You say
that you love Allah and His Prophet (pbuh), so be prepared to take this test,
the test from Allah. Seek the pleasure of Allah and spend in His way. There
will be many trials in your path, but will you lose courage? Are you going to
lose your breath, your courage, your Iman (faith)? Bear in mind that
everything you have, in fact, it is from the property of Allah which He has
furnished you [for a limited time on earth], and now it is your turn to spread
goodness around you – good behaviour and generosity – only for the sake of
Allah, for the pleasure of Allah, only to come closer to Him and to attract His
pleasure upon you. That was the goal of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) where he wanted
his Ummah to understand this message very well. Help the Cause of Allah, and
Allah will never forget you. Give from what Allah has provided you with - despite
many trials, many difficulties, but one day you will be in your comfort, Insha-Allah.
So, let's follow the
example of our master Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and stay humble and spend in Allah’s
path so that we attract His pleasure and contentment upon us, Insha-Allah,
Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 29 September 2023~13 Rabi’ul Awwal 1445 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius.