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Showing posts with label Barakah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barakah. Show all posts

Monday 25 April 2022

The Barakah of paying Zakat - the Mandatory Charitable Contribution

No two men are born equal, whether in position, possession of wealth and health. The have not always looked upon those who are blessed to live their lives in some level of comfort. And are thus dependent on the charity of the rich for which they have to really beg for alms and charity. This may be for some, but many due to their inborn dignity may not extend their hand in front of others. 

Islam however has established the concept of Zakat, a mandatory charitable contribution from those who have more than enough of their needs to give out to those in needs. In an Islamic state, such contributions are collected under the arrangements of state and then given out to the needy regularly so that they live comfortably.  

Before we move on, let us first see what does Barakah mean: [4]
Barakah is a term that means an “increase” and “growth”- and also, happiness.  It is the establishment of divine goodness in something; from whence it exudes cannot be sensed by people, nor can it be outwardly quantified, nor is it limited by anything, but rather, something with barakah in it is called mubaarak, and has an unexplainable increase and benefit in it from Allah. [al-Isfahani, Mufradaat al-Qur’an]

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Charity does not reduce wealth.” [Muslim, Sahih] The physical amount outwardly decreases, but the remaining amount attracts barakah so that the actual benefit from it is not less. [al-Nawawi, Sharh Muslim]
Now coming over to the question: How Zakat adds Barakah: At many places in Qur'an, believers have been instructed to pay Zakat so that a true welfare Islamic state could be established.  Zakat is found in the early Medinan surahs and described as obligatory for Muslims. For example, the 177th verse of Surah 2. Al Baqarah comprehensively explains the giving of Zakat by those who have enough for their Muslim brethren:

لَيۡسَ الۡبِرَّ اَنۡ تُوَلُّوۡا وُجُوۡهَكُمۡ قِبَلَ الۡمَشۡرِقِ وَ الۡمَغۡرِبِ وَلٰـكِنَّ الۡبِرَّ مَنۡ اٰمَنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَالۡيَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَالۡمَلٰٓـئِکَةِ وَالۡكِتٰبِ وَالنَّبِيّٖنَ​ۚ وَاٰتَى الۡمَالَ عَلٰى حُبِّهٖ ذَوِى الۡقُرۡبٰى وَالۡيَتٰمٰى وَالۡمَسٰكِيۡنَ وَابۡنَ السَّبِيۡلِۙ وَالسَّآئِلِيۡنَ وَفِى الرِّقَابِ​ۚ وَاَقَامَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَاٰتَى الزَّکٰوةَ ​ ۚ وَالۡمُوۡفُوۡنَ بِعَهۡدِهِمۡ اِذَا عٰهَدُوۡا ۚ وَالصّٰبِرِيۡنَ فِى الۡبَاۡسَآءِ وَالضَّرَّآءِ وَحِيۡنَ الۡبَاۡسِؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ الَّذِيۡنَ صَدَقُوۡا ؕ وَاُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الۡمُتَّقُوۡنَ‏ 
(2:177) Righteousness does not consist in turning your faces towards the east or towards the west;175 true righteousness consists in believing in Allah and the Last Day, the angels, the Book and the Prophets, and in giving away one’s property in love of Him to one’s kinsmen, the orphans, the poor and the wayfarer, and to those who ask for help, and in freeing the necks of slaves, and in establishing Prayer and dispensing the Zakah. True righteousness is attained by those who are faithful to their promise once they have made it and by those who remain steadfast in adversity and affliction and at the time of battle (between Truth and falsehood). Such are the truthful ones; such are the God-fearing.

The mention of Zakat is also found at other places such as mentioned below:
And We made them leaders guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them the doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakat; and they were worshippers of Us. (Surah 21 Al Anbiya:73)

“Zakat is for the poor and the needy; and those employed to administer the funds; for those whose hearts have been recently reconciled to Truth; for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer. It is ordained by Allah and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. "(Surah 9. Tawba, verse 60

Zakat means increase and barakah: That is to say that whoever pays Zakat will have his wealth multiplied not only in this world, but his rewards will be multiplied in life in the hereafter. In fact, Zakat is given for the sake of salvation. Muslims believe those who give zakat can expect reward from God in the afterlife, while neglecting to give zakat can result in damnation. Zakat is considered part of the covenant between God and a Muslim. 

Zakat is a means of compulsory redistribution of wealth in a way that reduces differences between classes and groups, thus preventing the many social disorders from which Communist and Western societies alike suffer, no less than contemporary Muslim societies that have neglected zakat. Moreover, zakat is a means of establishing justice indirectly. It rectifies whatever wrongs, injustices or means of exploitation in trading and industrial relations that have arisen. This may explain the fact that it is called a "right" rather than "charity", or an act of beneficence. Zakah also facilitates the proper direction of purchasing power in society. It transfers part of the power of consumption, which may be used extravagantly to fulfill a proper function in the lives of those who need it. [3]

Generally, it is observed that we are prone to extravagance (Israf), that is spending more than needed. If we analyze, the extra money spent which could have been curtailed could mean a whole day meal for a poor family. Instead, this money should be paid as Zakat for it will not only fulfill the needs of the needy but will also add to our Barakah.

Many Muslim philanthropists and even ordinary men make the Zakat contribution individually, due to which equal distribution of Zakat cannot be ensured nor it reaches all needy believers. Islamic states must ensure central collection of Zakat so that equal and just distribution can be ensured'. So let us give Zakat and help the needy. This will not only bring Barakah to us but would also earn us prayers of the needy and would help us when the scales will be set up on the Day of Judgement. But remember, while paying Zakat and alms, one's intention should be to please Allah and not to show off one's wealth to others, for it would nullify the noble act.

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is our duty to convey only to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

For more Scholarly views and videos, please read our reference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on Important Issues Related to Islam.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
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Thursday 21 April 2022

The Barakah of Lailat-ul-Qadr - The Night of Decree

We have share a number of posts on how to add to Barakah during the month of Ramdan. Now that we reached the last third of the month and coming to an end of the blessed month, it is time to bag as much Barakah in these last ten days, for who knows whether we will see the month next year or not. 

The last third (that is the last ten days) of the month of Ramdan are the days to seek refuge from the hellfire. 

It is the period wherein a night comes which is promised by Allah to be better than one thousands months. This night is called Lailat-ul-Qadr ( لیلة القدر  ), The Night of Decree  - the night full of blessings and rewards. The mention of this night is made in the 97th surah of the Qur'an: Surah Al Qadr:
“Verily! We have sent it (this Quran) down in the night of Al-Qadr. And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr is? The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months Therein descend the angels and the Ruh (Gabriel) by Allah’s Permission with all Decrees. Peace! until the appearance of dawn. (Quran 97:1-5)

Scroll down for a video on explanation of Surah tul Qadr

No one knows when this night will be for its exact date is uncertain but it sure is among the odd-numbered nights of the last ten days of Ramadan. So that means any night of 21,23, 25, 27 and 29 Ramdan will have this night.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had stressed the importance of this night in many of his advice to his companions and said: "Anyone who finds this night in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan is sure to have been blessed and forgiven of his sins provided he prays as hard as he could to ask forgiveness of his sins."

As per various sources, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would not only himself remain awake the entire odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan but would also urge his family to do so lest they miss the chances of being forgiven of their sins.

An Imam of Haram Makkah gives some very practical advice  Ideas for the last ten days of Ramadan   (1). Give one Riyal in charity every night of last ten days of Ramadan, so if it falls on Lailatul Qadar it's as if you gave charity everyday for 84 years.  (2). Pray two ra'kaat every night, so if it falls on Lailatul Qadar it's as if u prayed everyday for 84 years.  (3). Read Surah ikhlaas three times a night, so if it falls on Lailatul Qadar it's as if u read the whole Quran everyday for 84 years.  He then says spread this as you may find it on your account of good deeds  Allah make us of the victorious. In sha Allah Ameen. 

So each Muslim must endeavour to pray as much as one can and ask for forgiveness of one's sins during the odd nights of last ten days of the Ramadan. May be he is lucky to be praying when The Night of Decree or the Laylat Al Qadr falls. It may be mentioned that the exact day of the night is not mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. Thus the worshipers should not let go of this life time opportunity by praying constantly in the odd days. Who knows one may not live to find this night the next year or not !!

It is sunnah to spend some time in seclusion (itikaf) for a spiritual retreat in the mosque during the last third of Ramadan. ‘Aishah (RA) narrated that “The Prophet (PBUH) used to do a retreat in the mosque during the last ten nights of Ramadan until he died. His wives continued to observe this practice after his death.’ (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). Read more about Itikaf here.

You may like to listen to explanation of Surah tul Qadr and importance of this blessed night in the month of Ramdan by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:
May Allah help us to understand the simple and most practical religion of all - Islam and allow us to take advantage of the month of Ramadan and concessions given to us in fasting when traveling or being sick. Aameen.

To know more about fasting and importance of month of Ramadan, please consult our reference page: Ramadan - A month of fasting and Blessings. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

May Allah show us the right path so that we do not go astray due to what man has interpreted verses of religious scriptures to suit their own religions and faith. Aameen.

Photo | Reference: Surah ii Al Baqarah
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Saturday 9 April 2022

Whole hearted Charity adds more to Barakah in Ramadan

In one of our previous posts we talked of how to add to Barakah during the month of Ramadan and listed a number of actions that aids us in getting Barakah and multiplied blessings from Allah. The first action after keeping fast (Saum) and offering prayers and Tarawih was giving out charity more than we have do in other months of the years. We will now dwell more on to it in this post.

Allah encourages Muslims to give out charity profusely for it is a goodly loan to Allah for which the rewards are in abundance. Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He will multiply it for him and he will have a noble reward? [Quran 57:11]

Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas is quoted to have said that our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to be in the forefronts to help the poor and needy and dishing out whatever he had to help them. He ﷺ also used to free some of the prisoners during the month of Ramdan as an act of charity.
Ibn ‘Abbas narrates, saying, “The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was the most generous person, and he would be at his most generous in Ramadan because Jibril would come to him every night and he would study the Qur’an with him. Truly, when Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would meet Gabriel, he would be more generous than a fleeting wind.” [Agreed Upon]
Although Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was otherwise very kind hearted and helpful, but during the month of Ramadan his kindness to the poor would increase manifold. For releasing prisoners imprisoned on petty cases used to get his special attention. Sometimes He ﷺ would pay their debts for their release. He ﷺ would set prisoners on parole so that they could go home and spend the month of Ramdan with their families. The Prophet ﷺ is said to have said that even one piece of date is charity for someone who hasn't eaten for days. And following Him ﷺ, his companions used to help the poor to their utmost.
Dishing out charity and helping the poor keeps calamity away and ensures our needs will always be met: “Those who spend in charity will be richly rewarded” (Quran 57:10). Indeed, wealth does not decrease by giving in charity, but rather, grows and is purified, increasing also the individual's barakah (blessings and spiritual strength)

The Prophet Muhammad said: “The best charity is giving water to drink.”  We should thus donate charity for installation of hand pumps in areas where regular water supply is not available, thus helping the poor and giving them access to clean drinking water.  With every drop of clean water drank, blessings will come your way, Insha'Allah. 

We should follow the life and sunnah of our beloved Prophet ﷺ and must help the poor the year round, but more so in the month of Ramdan for not only it add to Barakah, but also allows the poor to fulfill their daily needs during the month of Ramadan. 

Some of the forms of charity in Ramdan are Fidya for missing fasts in Ramadan and Kaffarah, a penalty fee are also paid during the month by observant Muslims. It is said that the rewards of giving charity during Ramadan are multiplied by 70 and the reward for any righteous act during Laylatul Qadr is equivalent to having performed the same act every day for over 83 years!

You may read more about the importance of charity as mentioned in many verses of Qur'an from our page: Selected verses from Qur'an under the heading Charity.

You may like to listen to a short lecture by eminent Muslim scholar Dr Waheeduddin Ahmed in which he emphasizes the importance of intention of giving charity for intention has to be very pure - not for personal gains or show off but the earnest desire to help others as directed by Allah:
May Allah help us to understand the simple and most practical religion of all - Islam and allow us to take advantage of the month of Ramadan and concessions given to us in fasting when traveling or being sick. Aameen.

To know more about fasting and importance of month of Ramadan, please consult our reference page: Ramadan - A month of fasting and Blessings. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

May Allah show us the right path so that we do not go astray due to what man has interpreted verses of religious scriptures to suit their own religions and faith. Aameen.

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Monday 4 April 2022

What actions add Barakah to a fasting Muslim

Alhamdolillah, we are among the blessed Muslims who are alive today to be in the month of Ramadan and keeping fast, offering Tarawih prayers and reciting Qur'an to take maxim benefit from the unimaginable blessings Allah has promised for us. 

But do we know what specific actions during this month that add Barakah to us? Before we spell out these actions one by one in our subsequent posts, let us understand what actually Barakah means.

Ordinarily, Barakah means blessings of Allah. However, the word Barakah (بَرَكَة) in Arabic language has three meanings:
  • The first one is النَّمَاءُ وَالزِّيَادَة  which means “growth and increase”. So when something has Barakah it increases.
  • The second meaning is الاِستِمْرَارِيَّة or “continuity”. The Arabs say إِبتَرَكَتْ السَّمَاء when the rain keeps on coming and coming. This is a verb taken from the noun Barakah (بَرَكَة).
  • The final meaning of Baraka is: ‘Something that remains in its place as though it sticks. So it’s not only increasing and continuing but it remains as well. This is why the words إبترك الجمل `the camel has kneeled` is used as the camels when they kneel, they stay in their place.
Barak بَارَكَ as a verb is used to convey the meaning that Allah, the Almighty, has showered His benediction on something. For example the saying باركَ اللهُ في المالِ الحلال (Allah has blessed wealth that is Halal) and also as a well-wishing prayer like: باركَ اللهُ فيك (May Allah bless you).

The word بركات Barakat is the plural form of Barakah:

(وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ)
{And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, we would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied so We seized them for what they were earning} (Al a`raf 96)

So when we talk of gathering more and more Barakah during the month of Ramadan, we actually mean we are seeking blessings of Allah on us to increase manifold. And that these should not only increase but continue to increase even after this sacred month of Ramadan is over. 

So how do we increase Barakah to us by our actions other than keeping fast and offering prayers? Herein under are some actions that are source of Barakah:
  • Whole hearted Charity
  • Recitation of Qur'an
  • Seeking Maghfarat (pardon, remission, absolution, salvation, deliverance) for the Muslim Ummah
  • Tarawih prayers
  • Qiyam ul Lail (Remaining awake at night and offering Tahajjad prayers
  • Sitting for Itikaf in the masjid during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan
  • Sharing our knowledge of Islam with those who are illiterate or in need of essential knowledge of Islam, specially the reverts.
We have just listed some of the actions above that add Barakah to us during this month of Ramadan. But these actions will go a long way as a source of Barakah or blessings for us for a long time even after the month of Ramadan, provided we continue our above said actions, specially the ones that benefit others.

In days to come we will elaborate each actions listed above for clarity in easy to understand language.

May Allah help us collect as much Barakah in this month and help us help others through charity, prayers and seeking maghfarat for our brethren Muslims. May Allah help us in our pursuits. May Allah help us to understand the simple and most practical religion of all - Islam and allow us to take advantage of the month of Ramadan. Aameen.

To know more about fasting and importance of month of Ramadan, please consult our reference page: Ramadan - A month of fasting and Blessings. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

May Allah show us the right path so that we do not go astray due to what man has interpreted verses of religious scriptures to suit their own religions and faith. Aameen.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 |
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on FacebookYou may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

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