Sadaqat Al-Tatawwu: Spontaneous Alms-giving

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah Hiwabarakatuh

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and Chief of the Messengers, and upon all his family and companions.

Let me begin this post with a true story which happened recently. This story is not meant as to invite ria but to serve as an example to all of us, insya-Allah.

I know of a husband and wife, foreigners, trying to make a living in our blessed country. In order to do so, they had to leave their children in the care of their parents. Such sacrifice was made just because they wanted to earn an honest living.

May Allah bless them and grant them Jannah.

Both husband and wife do not earn that much. Combine their salary, they only earn $600 at most.

Though they lack in wealth, they are rich in faith and Iman. The husband often would lead the solat fajr amongst his fellow workers. He greets everyone with 'Salaam' and he is always patient with everyone he encounters.

The wife often recites the Quran after fajr and maghrib.

One day the wife received a call from her mother who told her that her husband must've given the wrong amount to give sadaqa to their neighbour. The mother said "Ask your husband if he is sure, this is alot more then the normal. I'll just give half and keep the rest for your children."

Wife was confused. She wasn't aware that her husband had sent money to their neighbours let alone that much amount of money.

In Brunei currency, said husband only sent around $10.00 but if converted, it would still be a significant amount. Perhaps for most of us, BND$10.00 is chup change.

But if you barely have enough to feed yourself let alone a family and if you only earn $300 a month, $10.00 goes a long long way.

Wife then told mother "No, don't do that. I wasn't aware that he has been sending money to our neighbour. But it is his money and he has given his haq to our neighbours, don't reduce it. I will send some later for the children if they need extra."

Wife then confronted her husband. "Dear Husband, why didn't you tell me have been sending money to our neighbour."

What did the husband reply?

"Dear Wife, It is said that when giving charity, it is best done privately such that when you give with your right hand, your left hand is unaware of it. Though you are my wife and we make financial decisions together, that money is mine to give. Our employer raise our wages this month and I have more to give. I give what I can. Insya-Allah."

Why the neighbours you asked?

It turned out that their neighbour was a widow with 8 children. Out of the 8 children, a few ( I am unable to recall the exact number) were physically disabled.

A hadith by our Prophet Muhammad S.A.W said "The people most prone to trials with afflictions are the prophets, and then the most pious and then the next in peity and so on. A man or a woman is tried accordingly to his or her belief. If his or her believe is firm, the trial will be harder, and if his or her beliefe is weak, he is tried accordingly. A servant of Allah will go on being tried with afflictions until he walks on earth free of sins.

We will test you with a certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and fruits. But give good news to the steadfast. (Al-Baqarah :155)

As I sat there listening to the story I thought, Masya-Allah, Allah must really really love this widow to give her such hardship, to give her such task that she needs to over come on her own. Her husband was taken away from her and her children's health was taken away from them.

She is truly a Believer. May Allah bless her and grant her Jannah.

And may Allah bless the aforementioned husband for his deeds and may Allah grant him Jannah for helping the orphans. Ameen.

My mother told me not long ago that when I start working, I must remember that my salary does not belong to me wholeheartedly. There are those who have rights over it. I asked her who are those whom have rights over what I earn?

"The poor, the orphans and those who are considered misfortunate compared to your being."

My dear brothers and sisters of the Shahadah, the concept of sadaqah is vast. It covers from removing a branch on the road which will cause harm upon those who thread upon it to sadaqa jariaa such as giving away land to build a mosque upon it.

I would like to touch on the subject of Sadaqah to orphans due to the wide publicity for the Yayasan Dana for Orphans (did I get that right?).

Allah put a great deal of emphasis on the importance of giving alms to orphans in the Holy Quran.

Remember when We made a covenant with the tribe of Israel: ‘Worship none but Allah and be good to your parents and to relatives and orphans and the very poor. And speak good words to people. And perform prayer and give the
alms.’ But then you turned away–except a few of you–you turned aside. (2:83)

It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, those with true devoutness are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travellers and beggars and to set slaves free, and who perform prayer and give the alms; those who honour their contracts when they make them, and are steadfast in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people who are
true. They are the people who guard against evil. (2:177)

They will ask you what they should give away. Say, ‘Any wealth you give away should go toyour parents and relatives and to orphans and the very poor and travellers.’ Whatever good you do, Allah knows it. (2:215)

Know that when you take any booty a fifth of it belongs to Allah, and to the Messenger, and to close relatives, orphans, the very poor and travellers,if you believe in Allah and in what We sent down to Our servant on the Day of Discrimination, the day the two groups met–Allah has power over all things. (8:41)

Why does Allah place a huge emphasis on the welfare of orphans?

Wallahuaklam. I was not able to research more on this. However to take an educated guess would be because Our Prophet Muhammad S.A.W (PBUH) was an orphaned.

His father died before he was born and his mother went to meet our Creator when he was only six years old.

What does it mean to be an orphan? How does it feel? I personally would not know because alhamdulilah, I am blessed with wonderful parents. I am thankful to Allah that He had made our family complete.

However if either one of my parents were to be taken away at Allah's will, I could not imagine how it would be for me. The mere thought of it would bring tears to my eyes. I could not imagine my life without either parents because both had always been there for me.

To be an orphan, to have either or both parents returned to Allah, to not know the love of a mother, to not know the warmth of her hugs, the coolness of her kisses, to not know the love of a father, to not be able to hear his words of encouragement, I imagine, would be devastating.

However if we give sadaqah to these children, to orphans and give them what is rightfully theirs, especially those in need of financial assistance, insya-Allah, will help ease their burden if not totally then partially

We revert to the story told above. The man earns $300 per month only. Part of it he has to give nafkah to his wife, then he has to give allowances for his children, then he has to give his parents' and whatever he has left he gives sadaqa to his orphaned neighbour and the rest he saves.

Masya-Allah. $300 my brothers and sisters. And he has to give so much away. I know for a fact that he would not have much left.

Allah loves a generous man, but Allah loves a poor generous man more because he has little yet he gives away what he can generously. He does it oblivious to his own wife because he did it out of ikhlas, his nawaitu was because of Allah.

We have to ask ourselves, how much to we earn per month? How much do we spend on leisurely items such as new mobile phones or latest cameras or that new Coach bag?

Then we ask ourselves, how much do we give away to charity?

How much do we give to those who have rights over our earnings?

And if we do give sadaqah, is it done because to show others that you are a generous being? Or do you do it silently that only Allah knows of acts?

But I need the money to pay bills and support my family and whatnots.

My dear brothers and sisters, sadaqah will not diminisih your wealth, insya-Allah. If anything, sadaqah will purify your wealth, invoking Allah's pleasure at doing His bidding and He, insya-Allah, will give you more then what you gave, be it in this world or in the next.

Who knows, that simple act of charity will save you from Allah's wrath?

Do you doubt at Allah's generosity? Allah is Al-Karim and Al-Alim, the most Generous, the All-Knowing.

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How do we do sadaqah?

Taken from Maulana Wahiduddin Khan- The Concept of Charity in Islam.

If a very high standard has been set for charity, it is because zakat and sadaqat are performed by believers not just as moral obligations to society, but as sincere endeavours to gain God’s pleasure. In his commentary on the Quran, Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes:

(1) It must be in the way of God

(2) It must expect no reward in this world

(3) It must not be followed by reference or reminders to the acts of charity

(4) Still less should any annoyance or injury be caused to the recipient e.g. by boasting that the giver relieved the person in the hour of need.”

The article continued in describing the benefits of sadaqa:

According to the teachings of Islam the giving of sadaqa serves a number of functions:

• Sadaqa first and foremost acts as expiation for sins. The believers are asked to give sadaqa immediately following any transgression (Ihya-e-Ulumuddin, Al-Ghazzali, 1/298).

• Voluntary alms-giving can also compensate for any shortcoming in the past payment of zakat.

• Sadaqa also gives protection against all kinds of evil. Sadaqa wards off affliction in this world, questioning in the grave and punishment on Judgement Day. (Ismail Hakki, Tafsir Ruh-alBayan, 1/418).

• It is therefore recommended to give sadaqa by night and by day, in secret and in public to seek God’s pleasure (Quran, 2:274).

• The constant giving of a little is said to please God more than the occasional giving of much.

• Sadaqa is also a means of moral edification. It purifies the soul from the evil of avarice. Sadaqa is a reflection of generosity of God / the All-giving.

Back to the Yayasan Dana for orphans, though they offer sadaqah via text messaging, it would be better if we, brothers and sisters, personally go to the donation box and put that money in the box ourselves.

On the way to give that money to charity, we can make duaa to Allah and ask Him to give barakah to you and your family, to give you more wealth so you could spend more to seek His pleasure, to cure you or your family from whatever ailments you are suffering, to ask of Allah to protect you and your family from harm, to ask for forgiveness and repent for past sins.

Every step you take which draws you closer to that donation box is counted by Allah.

Remember your nawaitu must be ikhlas and because of Allah and Allah alone.

Give what you can whenever the opportunity arises. Allah has blessed you with so much and this simple act of kindness is a way of saying "Alhamdulilah. Thank you Allah for providing for me. Thank you for giving me a job so I can support my family."

We should not be arrogant as to think that the wealth that Allah gives you will continue forever. If Allah wills it, He can take it away anytime He wish. And then where would we be? How will we be able to support our family?

What we earn, others have rights over it and those include the poor, the orphans and those unfortunate next to you. Give generously because it may be the last time you may be able to give.

Give generously because it will invoke Allah's pleasure in you.

Most importantly, give with much ikhlas and sincerity because you believe in Allah and the Last Day.

It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, those with true devoutness are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travellers and beggars and to set slaves free, and who perform prayer and give the alms; those who honour their contracts when they make them, and are steadfast in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people who are true. They are the people who guard against evil. (2:177)

Insya-Allah.

May Allah bless us with His Taufik and Hidayat. May we benefit from the knowledge He has given us. May we always be under His Protection and Guidance. May He forgive us for our sins, those we know and those we do not know. May He place us on the righteous path and steadfast our Imans. May He shower our one and true Prohphet Muhammad Alaihisalam and his family and followers, with eternal blessings.

Amin amin, ya rabbal-alamin.

Jazakallahu Khayran.

Fi Aman Allah.

Sincerely,

Your sister in Islam