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Showing posts with label Scholars Viewpoint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scholars Viewpoint. 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.
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 Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Friday 18 March 2022

Is Shab e Baraat a Bid'ah (Scholars' Viewpoint)


Islam is a very simple and straightforward religion. Those who follow Qur'an and Sunnah in the right perspective will never go astray and will always be on Sirat e Mustaqeem - the straight path.

However, over the years many innovations (Bidah) have crept in our way of life and we have started to digress from the path shown to us by Allah and demonstrated by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. One of the innovations is the celebration of 15th of Shaban as the night of forgiveness, commonly known as Shab e Barat. Allah has shown us the light to repent and ask for forgiveness if we faulter and sin and for this no date or time has been fixed. Whenever one feels he has wronged himself by following something that is not desired by Allah, one should immediately re3pent his sin and ask for forgiveness of Allah. Thus restricting one self to one night in the whole year seems rather out of place and teachings of Islam.
Thus as for celebrating Shab e Barat as a ritual, it Is the Absolute Unanimous Opinion of All the Good Jurists and Scholars in Islam That There Is to Be No Special Commemoration or Celebration of the So-called Shabe-baraat Night; and if Anyone Offers or Ordains Any Special Prayers for the Commemoration of This Night, It Would Be Against the Guidance and Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). It Is Indeed Unfortunate That Many Amongst the Ummah Have Started Celebrating and Commemorating This Night With Special Gatherings and Prayers, Something Which Was Neither Performed by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) Nor Endorsed by Him; and Any Act of Worship Which Was Not Endorsed by the Noble Prophet (PBUH) Can Be Nothing but an Innovation (Bid'ah), and Every Innovation in the Deen of Islam Is a Grave Error. 
In fact there Is Absolutely No Evidence in the Authentic Sunnah Whereby the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) or His Noble Companions or Family Ever Celebrated or Commemorated the Night of Shabe-baraat, Nor Did He (PBUH) Ever Offer Any Special Prayers on This Night, Nor Did He (PBUH) Ever commanded his companions to do anything Special on this night!

Interestingly this concept of night of 15th of Shahban is only found in the Indian sub continent who interpret some weak hadiths and prove their view point, which of course is not viewpoint of scholars from around the world.

Please watch the video below on the issue which contains view point of so many eminent Muslim scholars of the world who view celebrating Shahb e Barat as an innovation:
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the video above are that of the concerned scholar . We have shared these view as added information in better understanding of Islam. The reader may or may not agree with the view owing to their own perception. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | References: | 1 | 

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.
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 Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Tuesday 5 November 2019

Scholars' Viewpoint on Important Issues related to Islam (Reference Page)


We at Islam: My Ultimate Decision, have been sharing exegesis of the Holy Qur'an based on the research of some of the eminent scholars of all times. The purpose of offering explanations and view point of different scholars is meant to enlighten the leader by offering explanation of same subject from a different view point or how different scholars see or think on the same issue at hand, for every two people look at the same thing and interpret it based on their field of research and understanding.

Like in philosophy, point of view describes the perception of an event or phenomenon and how exactly it is viewed. Point of view often is shaped by an individual's beliefs or experiences, the same way Islamic scholars present their view point to explain a verse from Qur'an based on their experience, specially keeping in view the reference to the context in which a particular verse had been revealed or a solution to the problem based on the commandments of Allah as contained in the Qur'an and if need be help is taken from the Sunnah and authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad.

While we present most of our explanations and research work in writings, at times it becomes difficult to encompass the viewpoint of a scholar in words and which can be better understood by actually listening to a particular scholar discussing an issue at hand.

Generally, the discussion by the Islamic scholars as available on the social media and the world of web are in either Arabic or other native languages, which may not be understood by non-Arabic language people. Therefore, we would try our best to select those videos which are either in English or are with English subtitles. This will help everyone to understand issues confronted by Muslims, specially the fresh reverts, who may not be able to lay hand on authentic sources to find answers to many a question quizzing their minds.

Herein under is a list of such scholarly viewpoints which have already been shared. This page would thus become an index for all such posts we will share in future so that one can select a an issue listed here, sit back and listen to a learned scholar explaining the issue:

1. Questions related to Allah
2. Qur'an Related Questions
3. Qur'an - is it word of God
4. Guidance
5. Islam / Da'wah
6. Prayers
7. Gratefulness / Gratitude to Allah
8. Ramadan
9. Other Matters
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the videos will be those of the concerned scholar. We will be sharing this as added information in better understanding of Islam. The reader may or may not agree with the view owing to their own perception. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
| Photo |
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.

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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