The spirit of generosity

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Sadia Dehlvi [1]

With the month of Ramazan approaching, it is a good time to understand the spirit of generosity in Islamic scriptures. In Ramazan, Muslims are expected to be more generous than usual and most community members pay their Zakat, alms tax, during this month. Zakat, one of the five pillars of Islam, is paying to charity a two-and-a-half per cent of wealth that has been there for one whole year. Zakat comes from the root word “zaka” which translates as “purification”. The purpose of the alms tax is to purify one’s wealth by spending a part of it in God’s way. Just as ablutions before prayer purify the body and prayers purify the soul, Zakat purifies one’s wealth and makes it pleasing to Allah.
The voluntary form of charity required to achieve closeness to God is called Sadaqah. The Quran states: “And be steadfast in your prayer and pay charity; whatever good you send forth for your future, you shall find it with Allah, for Allah is well aware of what you do” (2:110). In other verses, the Quran lays stress on the believers to care for the needy, the orphans, the destitute and the unfortunate members of the society. The book advises that one should avoid mentioning and talking about what s/he has given in charity, for such deeds are best done quietly. “And whatever ye spend in charity or devotion, be sure God knows it all. But the wrongdoers have no helpers. If ye disclose (acts of) charity, even so it is well, but if ye conceal them, and make them reach those (really) in need, that is best for you: It will remove from you some of your (stains of) evil. And God is well acquainted with what ye do” (2:270-271).
When doing charity, one should smile and be humble, allowing the hand of the receiver to be above the hand of the giver. Islamic jurisprudence tell us that Zakat is the right of the poor people, and it is they who are doing the tax-payer a favour by enabling them on the path of purification. The Muslim tradition is never to give provisions in charity that are of inferior quality, but to give away from what one loves. It is a privilege to be in a position to give charity, and an honour to fulfil a divine obligation.
Although not mandatory, farmers and agriculturalists are expected to give five to 10 per cent of their harvest to poor people. Wealthy people usually get rich off the backs of poor people and if one does not give back and share the produce, it often creates resentment leading to social instability. Wealth should accompany a sense of social responsibility.
Generosity is one of the highest virtues in all Abrahamic traditions, for generosity is an expression of gratitude to the Lord. One of the 99 names of Allah is “Al Karim”, which means, “The Generous”. In the Quran God asks, “O human beings, what has deluded you of your generous Lord?” Some of the classical commentators of the Quran say that it is God’s enormous generosity that has caused us to forget Him, for there is an abundance of bounties to be grateful for.
Generosity is considered a branch of courage, for people are not generous because often they are fearful of the future. Jesus said that those with faith would go out in the morning and return like the birds, satiated, in the evening. Birds are not anxious about their jobs or who will look after them in their old age. Religious traditions are designed to teach people how to trust God, a trust that is accompanied by wisdom and designed to remove fear.
Prophet Mohammad, known to be the most generous of people, said, “Human hearts are inclined to love those who do good to them”. If we treat people with dignity, they tend to reciprocate. In Islamic traditions honouring people is considered being generous to them.
Imam Ali, the revered son-in-law of the Prophet said, “The worst person is the miser. In this world he is deprived of his won wealth, and in the Hereafter he is punished”. Many wealthy people live impoverished lives. They are not inspired by spirituality, and experience discomfort in spending their wealth. Prophet Mohammad famously said that the best Islam was to clothe the naked and feed the hungry.

— Sadia Dehlvi is a Delhi-based writer and author of Sufism: The Heart of Islam. She can be contacted at sadiafeedback@gmail.com [2]