SOCIAL WELFARE IN ISLAM

just charity, but that which, as a matter of right, should come back to the poor who, by their labour, are creators of the national wealth. There are many verses in the Quran, and many traditions of the Prophet, which make it quite clear that there is a due besides Zakat, and that even when the wealthy have paid this tax, they have still not fully discharged their duties. Abu Zar Ghifari, one of the Prophet’s companions, reported that the Prophet said that losers are those who, having an excess of riches, just squander their wealth, heedless of the fact that they can be saved only if they spend generously for a good cause (Bukhari and Muslim). Charity is a material acknowledgement of the fact that the actual giver is God. Since Zakat and Sadaqa are not only moral obligations to society, but acts performed by believers to seek God’s pleasure, a high standard is set for the manner of their accomplishment. Abdullah Yousuf Ali writes of charity in his commentary of the Quran: 'It must be in the way of God. No reward must be expected for it in this world. It must not be followed by references to, or reminders of, the acts of charity. Still less should any annoyance or injury be caused to the recipient, e.g. by boasting that the giver brought relief to the person in his hour of need.' Thus the spirit of kindness and well-wishing is the essence of charity. The giver is not to expect any reward from the recipient, as there awaits for him an abundant reward from God—material, moral and spiritual—whatever God thinks is best to confer upon His servant. The Quran admonishes us not to spend “to be seen of men” (THE QURAN 2: 264). This is false charity. Spending with this motive is worse than not spending at all. In the next verse, God gives us a beautiful parable to illustrate what true charity is like. It is like a field with good soil in an elevated position. It catches good showers of rain and the moisture penetrates the soil. With these favourable conditions, its output increases enormously. Similarly, a man of true charity is spiritually healthy. He is best placed to attract God’s bounties. The Quran goes on to give four parables (THE QURAN 2: 261-266) which explain the truly spiritual nature of charity and how it bears on the whole of our lives. Yet, there are some people who think that acts of charity would ruin them. Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments on such doubts: “No kind or generous act