On 'Zakat' & 'Sadaqah'

 

Qur'anic Commandments- 6

‘And in their wealth and belongings was a rightful share for those who asked for help and for those who could not.’ (51:20)

‘Take alms out of their wealth, so that you may thereby purify them (of their evils) and enhance them in their virtuous deeds.’ (9:103)

‘…and observe Prayer, and pay the Zakāt, and set apart a goodly portion of your possessions to give for the sake of Allah. And whatever good you send on before you for your souls, you will find it with Allah. It will be better and greater in reward …’ (73:21)

‘And whoso is rid of the covetousness of his own soul–it is these who will be successful.’ (59:10)

 

‘Zakat’ is a Qur’anic injunction: an obligation on rich believers to part with a share of their resources and wealth with the needy members of society, in pursuit of individual well-being and collective development. Among numerous teachings that Islam recommends to ‘flatten’ the glaring inequities of the social order- where different classes of people live together with diverse fortunes; altruism and philanthropy are promoted through faith practices such as ‘Zakat’ and ‘Sadaqah’. Whereas Zakat denotes compulsory giving binding on all the rich, Sadaqah is voluntary giving strongly recommended on all believers who seek spiritual merit in Divine pleasure. 

The Holy Qur’an speaks about Zakat, in over 80 places; almost always join the payment of Zakat along with the observance of Prayer (Al- Salat) - both together constituting among the primary obligations of Aqeedah Islamiah.    “And they were not commanded but to serve Allah, bearing true faith in Him, (and) being upright, and to observe Prayer, and to keep on presenting the Zakat. That is the true and firm conduct of faith”. (98:6)

The payment of Zakat and Sadaqah by the believer in service of fellow humans and the society at large has many beneficial consequences. As the Holy Book notes concerning Sadaqah, “the alms are only for the poor and the needy, and for those employed in connection therewith, and for those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and for the freeing of slaves, and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer—an ordinance from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.” (9:60) 

The believer stands to benefit from these good deeds in both visible and subtle, spiritual ways: “And whatever of wealth you spend, it is for yourselves, while you spend not but to seek the favour of Allah. And whatever of wealth you spend, it shall be paid back to you in full and you shall not be wronged” (2:274)

Altruistic individuals not just stand to derive inner happiness from their generous outreach, but they also contribute to betterment of the social conditions that attract Divine forgiveness, mercy, pleasure and blessings on them and their progeny in this world and the world to come; the Qur’an alludes in so many verses: “And those who persevere in seeking the favour of their Lord, and observe Prayer, and spend out of that with which We have provided them, secretly and openly, and repel evil with good. It is these who shall have the best reward of the final abode” (13:23). Likewise, the Book of God condemns in no uncertain terms those who remain indifferent to the social obligations on payment of Zakat.

Read the Qur'anic commandments Below:

'Zikr, Salaat & Tahajjud'

Qur’anic Commandments- 5 

Do you not see that all those who are in the heavens and the earth praise God, as do the birds with wings outstretched? Each knows his own mode of prayer and glorification: Allah has full knowledge of all that they do. To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah shall all things return. (24:42)

Say, ‘My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. (6:163)

 

Worship of the Divine through observance of Prayer is among the primary markers of faith in Islam. Like all religions that prescribed certain rites of sacrifice and soulful worship in their tenets, Islam validates the significance of formal prayer in the quest for Divine countenance and communion through the teachings and practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). The Holy Qur’an contains clear commandments on formal Prayer (al-Salat) to be performed at specified times every day, as exemplified in the Prophetic traditions. Beyond the prescribed formal Prayer at five times a day, the Qur’an also contains illuminating guidance on supererogatory prayers (Tahajjud); Divine remembrance (Zikrullah), supplications and other invocations (Duah) in the solitude of the worshipper.

Designed to protect people from the impurity of evil impulses, and to elevate the human souls  to a station of Divine consciousness in their everyday affairs, the cycle of Prayer offers a sense of perspective on the higher truths and priorities of life, and the vital duty to seize our moment in worshipful service of God in this fleeting world. Indeed, true Muslims are people who are devoted to the Prayers; those who remain constant and steadfast in their Prayers. Reproduced below are certain Qur’anic prescriptions on Salat- including on the supererogatory Tahajjud prayers offered by true devotees in the stillness of the night in the quest for Divine grace and pleasure:   

‘O my dear son! observe Prayer, and enjoin good, and forbid evil, and endure patiently whatever may befall you. Surely, this is a matter of high resolve. (31:18)

'Halal' Food in the Qur'an

Qur'anic Commandments- 4

Let man consider the food he eats! We pour down abundant water and cause the soil to split open. We make grain grow, and vines, fresh vegetation, olive trees, date palms, luscious gardens, fruits, and fodder: all for you and your livestock to enjoy. (80:25-33)

'It is He who produces both trellised and untrellised gardens, date palms, crops of diverse flavours, the olive, the pomegranate, alike yet different. So when they bear fruit, eat some of it, paying what is due on the day of harvest, but do not be wasteful: God does not like wasteful people. [He gave you] livestock, as beasts of burden and as food. So eat what God has provided for you and do not follow in Satan’s footsteps: he is your sworn enemy. (6:142-143)

‘Lord, send down to us a feast from heaven so that we can have a festival– the first and last of us– and a sign from You. Provide for us: You are the best provider.’ (5:115)

The food that we consume affects our physical well being, internal disposition and external conduct in such subtle yet profound ways that it requires deeper consideration for its implications on our morals and manners. Historically and spiritually, the criterion of discrimination between the bad and the good, the unlawful and the licit, has been Divinely-ordained for the knowledge and guidance of man from the dawn of civilization. Hence, dietary restrictions and regulations are found in almost all religions of the past. Indeed, the Islamic tradition of ‘Halal’ is the quality process of purity and wholesomeness that makes something lawful and appropriate for consumption and beneficial enjoyment. 

The Holy Qur’an offers vital guidance on the lawful and the unlawful when it comes to consumption of food. The Word of God points to the intimate connection between the consumption of food and the spiritual disposition, urging believers to remain within the confines of the lawful, and to shun the evil of excesses and immoderation. To keep the Satanic impulses in chains, it is important to avoid the consumption of the unlawful, including the intoxicants. Whereas certain harmful foods and deviant/idolatrous practices are to be avoided under the Shariah, all good foods are licit in moderation. Further, the Qur’an addresses issues of healthy eating and community dining, attacking tribal prejudices and facilitating social interactions around shared food.  Reproduced below are Qur’anic verses that speak of dietary regulations:

'Ya Ilaahi': Revealed Poems

Spiritual Healing

O my dear God, my Protector, my Loving One

My dear Friend - Always Living One

Always powerful and Merciful One.

Please shower Your blessings with Your help

And guidance.

O my dear God, every single thing is in Your control

And as Your servant please protect me and Help me.

O my dear God, please do not ever leave me alone

O my dear God, I shall not ever forget You

O my dear God, do not ever forget me

O dear, the Perfect Healer

Only You are sufficient for me 

Please heal me (only You suffice for me)

'Ilham': Recent Divine Messages- V

Hazrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba)  of Mauritius is a living saint and servant of God: a spiritual preceptor and model-exemplar of Islam in our times. A frequent recipient of Divine revelations and spiritually-infused messages from the Unseen for the past two decades now, the mystical experiences of Imam Azim (aba) rhyme with the finest of such revelatory experiences of great savants ever reported in the annals of Muslim communities around the world. Most certainly, Imam Azim (aba) has been blessed with an abundance of Divine communications and spiritual messages to a level and scale unheard of in the records of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya since the times of the Promised Massih Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian (1835-1908 CE). Like the Promised Messiah (as) in the previous era, Imam Azim (aba) today claims Divine revelations and messages as the authority behind his spiritual mission: Allah (swt) charged him with the mighty task of reclaiming and revitalizing the enduring message of Tawheed in this era, and emblematic of this Divinely-infused spiritual role, bestowed upon him several titles- Hazrat, Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, Muhyi-ud-Din Khalifatullah; Mujaddid, Messiah, etc. Hence, Divinely-raised with a mandate to serve Islam in this era, Imam Azim (aba) is the Holy Founder of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al International- a devotional community of Muslims around the world who are committed to rejuvenate the Heavenly Way of Islam in their own lives and among the people.

Reproduced below are certain recent Divine revelations received by Hazrat Saheb (aba) on 30-31 May 2021. These messages from Beyond call our attention to the grim situation of the world: a world that has abandoned the protective shade of Divine regulations and has virtually embraced the lure of evil and inequity at the cost of peace, justice and fairness. Reminding believers about the duty to obey God and His messenger, the revelation underscores the need for an open and receptive mind that is capable of carefully listening and following the messages and advices that contain true life for the believers. What distinguishes a hypocrite from a believer is their contrasting attitudes to faith. Beyond verbal profession of belief, a true believer is seriously committed to the obligations of Faith. Such a believer diligently upholds God's commandments concerning just living in society, safeguarding the Amanat of Bai'at at all costs till their last breath in this world...it is such a community of believers that shall inherit the grand Divine promise on Fath-e-Islam in the Later Days, Insha-Allah, Aameen. 

Read  the Divine Revelations Below:      

The situation around the world 

Time will come soon for great destruction. Some of my disciples have no food for themselves. 

 يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَٰذَا بروح القدس مَهْجُورًا ۝ وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا مِّنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ هَادِيًا وَنَصِيرًا ۝

 

"Oh My Rab/Lord/Creator verily my people had abandoned this Divine Revelation [i.e. such revelations which came through the Holy Spirit], not acted on its teachings. Thus, from the sinful people We made enemies for every Prophet. Your Lord is a Sufficient Guide and Helper."

The Quest for 'Ummat-e-Wahida'

The time period of a Khalifatullah or a Divinely-inspired messenger is a vital phase in the spiritual and political spheres of his community. For instance, when Jesus (as) appeared among the Israelites, the spiritual (and political) expectation of the times was that he would establish the Heavenly Kingdom on Earth. Likewise, when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) preached Islam in Arabia, it eventually resulted in the establishment of a just and humane political order in the land as well. Indeed, the Islamic Aqeedah  contains within it the design and seeds of an equitable social order that will truly liberate humans from the chains and shackles that confine them to the clutches of Taghut and other satanic elements.

In this era of a Khalifatullah, political and material conditions of our societies clearly point to a world in decadence, disarray and anarchy, with much violence and bloodshed and unconscionable inequalities and rampant corruption. While capitalist social orders swear by civic freedom and liberties, and secular laws passed in people's assemblies are ostensibly for providing justice and welfare to the people, corruption and decadence have permeated every fiber of nations. Despite claims of being democracies that value freedom and liberties of people, the reality on the ground is such that much injustice and exploitation of the vulnerable take place on an everyday basis, ravaging our pretentious claims of being civilized peoples. All of these call for a just social and political order that protects the vulnerable from the 'slavery' of the 'free' (the rich and the influential).

In the reconstruction of the deeply-flawed and anarchical world order in our times, Islamic values can shine a light in ensuring freedom from slavery and other inhuman exploitation. Against this backdrop of the quest for a just world order, in his Friday Sermon of 21 May 2021~ 08 Shawwal 1442 AH Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius spoke about role of Islamic Aqeedah in reimaging the world order and in the creation of another world. 

'Pray for Humanity'

This year, the Muslims of Mauritius celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Jummah on 14 May 2021~01 Shawwal 1442 AH. In his Khutba Jummah on the occasion, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) marked the solemnity of the occasion by reminding the congregation of believers about their obligations towards the Almighty and to humanity at large. Calling attention to the structural imbalances,  and growing disparity between the rich and the poor in all our societies and the profound negative consequences these systemic inequities may have on the future of our children, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) underscores the need for urgent action to address issues of poverty, vagrancy, and social exclusion of deprived sections. In this context, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) recommends the renewal of original Islamic Zakaat norms in the devotional and social praxis of the Muslims so as to construct a more equitable social and economic order.     

Moreover, in a context of great upheavals and calamitous events shaking humanity to its core, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) counsels the Ummah to demonstrate brotherhood and solidarity and to rise above differences, in finding answers to difficult challenges in saving humanity from the brink of disaster. Recommending everyone to benefit from the deep resources of the living faith of Islam, including the exemplary model of the Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) exhorts the believers to become truly caring, generous and compassionate individuals who feel the pain and do everything they can to wipe the tears of fellow humans. "Today the world needs loyal adherents of this Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen who are ready to sacrifice themselves and their possessions for the well-being of mankind," notes Hazrat Saheb (aba). 

Read the Friday Sermon Below:

The Safeguard of Humanity

I am thankful to Allah (swt) that He has given us the opportunity to have two Eids today (one Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Jummah). As all our Muslims brothers, sisters and children know, the holy month of Ramadan, during which fasting is obligatory for those professing the Islamic faith, is a perpetual reminder of their other obligations to the Almighty and to humanity at large. One of them is Zakaat which represents an annual levy on their income and assets. Over the last couple of decades we have seen the emergence of a number of benevolent societies which in a very scientific and professional manner and in strict accordance with the precepts of the Shariah have endeavoured to collect and channel the proceeds of Zakaat donations to the most needy and deserving members of society. 

The fact remains, however that notwithstanding the above initiatives and in spite of the substantial progress our country has made, a number of Mauritian citizens [and the other peoples of the earth] has been left on the fringe of this development. Living as they do, in the precarious conditions engendered by poverty, these persons daily chores seems like a battle against hope, not only for obtaining the basic comforts of a home but incredible as it may appear, even for their daily meals. The plight of the children is made worse as they are deprived of the essential tools to enable them to benefit from proper schooling and education which might have helped to extricate themselves from the shackles they are imprisoned in. 

I hope that in the coming year we might be able to pool our efforts together so as to buy some solace to all those in our countries [and especially here in Mauritius] who are still struggling to survive. The help, devotion and contribution of each of us Muslims, be it in Mauritius and the world at large is needed to enable those necessities of life to reach their proper destination. This is the actual reason that the Zakaat has been instituted by Allah and His Messenger (pbuh), to enable the equal repartition of riches between the rich and the poor, to maintain the balance of wealth in the Islamic world and beyond.