Part One: SEERAH (Biographical Sketch) CHAPTER

C:\Users\Admin\Dropbox\The Message - Material of Maulana\16. Books and Review\Apa's Books\Life And 89 used for the social welfare of the community—for the education of the people, for public works, and for any other need of the Muslim community. There are two forms of charity in Islam— obligatory and voluntary, which are respectively called zakah and sadaqah. Zakah, from the verb zakah, which signifies “to thrive,” “to be wholesome,” “to be pure,” means purification. Giving up a portion of one’s wealth, which is in excess of what one needs for one’s own sustenance, is a purifying process which legitimises the use of the remainder by the donor. Deducting zakah from one’s earning is a material acknowledgement of the fact that the actual giver is God. And since the giver is God, the recipient is duty-bound to spend it in His cause. In spirit, zakah is an act of worship, while in its external form, it is the carrying out of a social service. Zakah is thus not just the payment of a tax, but is of great religious significance. Its importance is underscored by the fact that the Quran treats it on a par with salah (prayer). There are such traditions as stress the importance of giving sadaqah in the holy month of Ramadan. Therefore, in this month of fasting, almost all those who can afford it, help poor people in one way or another. The Qur’an frequently enjoins believers ‘to perform the worship and pay the zakat’ and even goes to the extent of saying that one cannot attain righteousness unless one spends out of one’s wealth for the love of God. It also says: “By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give of that which you love.” (3:92) Since charity is purely for the sake of God, it has value only if something good and valuable is given. It should be lawfully earned or acquired by the giver. It should include such things as are of use and value to others. So the test of charity lies in giving away not just things that we have discarded, but things that we greatly value. What God demands is unselfishness. It may be in any form—personal efforts, talents, skills, learning, property or possessions. Charity is, in the words of the Prophet, to place a thing in the palm of God. It