THE ESSENCE OF RELIGION–PART II

responsibility of each and every Muslim to try to acquire all those financial assets on which Zakat (obligatory charity almsgiving) has been fixed, so that he may carry out the duties in relation to Zakat. All the commands of religion are of equal value in terms of form, but their applicability is determined by circumstances. For instance, one command of the Quran is to 'pray regularly,' another is to ‘pay Zakat.’ Both these commands are equal in importance as they are in the imperative tense. But their relevance to different individuals is not always the same. The command to pray regularly is an absolute command obligatory on each and every believer, while the command regarding Zakat is conditional, that is, it is obligatory only when one possesses enough wealth to come under the law of Zakat. That is, if a person possesses the minimum prescribed wealth under Zakat law, this obligation to pay Zakat will be applicable to him in the absolute sense, just as the order to pray is obligatory for all. But a person who is not in possession of this minimum wealth, is neither required to pay Zakat nor is he ordered to acquire wealth so that he may be able to obey the law on Zakat. What is desirable is that the believer should be active in carrying out duties which are applicable in the present rather than engaging in such activities which may be applicable to him in the future under different circumstances. We learn, therefore, that there are a number of religious duties that are not to be enforced in the absolute sense, being applicable only in relation to circumstances. All Islamic commandments are the expression of some inner reality. When faith is rooted in the heart, it reflects on the human personality. Yet its external expression is in proportion to the scope offered by external circumstances. Further inter-relationships between believers are also an aspect of the spirit of worship. The required attitude is alluded to in the Quran as ‘Exhort one another to truth and patience' (103: 3). This exemplifies the spirit of worship which marks a Muslim’s dealings with another. Thus God has highlighted the important aspect of the demand made by faith to induce believers in Islam to opt for the course of action which God finds desirable. Even a society of Muslim minority, however religiously aware, is not required to launch its Islamic mission as a campaign for the enforcement All the commands of religion are of equal value in terms of form, but their applicability is determined by circumstances.