Day 19
Charity as a source of happiness
TL;DR:
The post discusses the importance of charitable giving in Islam, emphasizing that wealth is a trust from Allah and should be used in His path.
It highlights the concept of Zakat (2.5% charitable donation) and the significance of finding a 'sweet spot' for charity—giving enough to feel its impact but not so much that it causes hardship.
The post also touches upon the Islamic perspective on wealth, encouraging generosity and reminding that happiness comes from making others happy, not from material consumption.
Welcome to Day 19 of Be Quranic. We explore brief messages from the Quran each day, extracting practical lessons and applying them in our daily lives to become more Quranic.
Insha'Allah, today we continue our study of the third ayah from the longest Surah in the Quran, Surat Al-Baqarah. The ayah reads: In this ayah, Allah gives us three traits of the people of Taqwa. Firstly, belief in the unseen, faith.
Secondly, Salah, where one establishes their prayers. Thirdly, from what one has been given, they donate to charity. Today, we will focus on the last part. Interestingly, in this ayah, Allah does not simply say they give charity.
But Allah states, "And from what We have given them, they donate to charity." Allah is reminding us of the ownership of our wealth. It belongs to Allah. It is not ours. We are merely caretakers of what Allah has entrusted us with.
He grants us some wealth and blessings. And from that, a portion is given to charity. He is not asking for everything. He does not demand that we go broke to give charity. Allah says, "Not all, just a small portion."
From this, we deduce the 2.5% Zakat on everything we own. Allah asks for 2.5%. And that is only if we meet the criteria of quantum, the amount and duration we hold the wealth. 2.5%.
A small part of what He has given us. The phrase "that we have given them" signifies we do not own our wealth. When we do not own something, it is easier to part with it, as it's not ours, but someone else's.
We observe this with those who work hard and become wealthy. First-generation wealthy individuals are often more cautious with their spending. But the second and third generations, who inherit wealth without much effort, find spending it easier. So Allah advises, remember, wealth is not yours. Spend it in Allah's way. Spend it as Allah wishes.
The word 'infaq', commonly translated as charity, originates from 'nafaka'—a tunnel, a barrel in the desert with two openings: an entry and an exit. This term also leads to 'munafir', denoting a hypocrite, who can come and go unpredictably, lacking a clear stance.
Why then is 'infaq' used for charity? Because it implies putting money in through one hole and taking it out through another. You do not lose the wealth given to charity. You're transferring it from your worldly account to withdraw in your afterlife account—a deposit in dunya, a withdrawal in the akhirah.
Understanding this encourages us to give beyond the compulsory 2.5%. We have sadaqah, other charities, auqaf, and trusts, contributing to the growth of the Islamic economy since the earliest days, our glorious times.
Charity was integral to life, and Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam promised that charity never decreases our wealth. We believe fully as Muslims, Allah yabbidu wa yabasutu.
He constricts and expands. He can take and give to whomever He wishes, in whatever amount He chooses. If we truly believe this, the more we need something, the more we give to charity.
Need more money? Donate more to charity. More time? Spend more in Allah's path. More energy? Use it for Allah's sake. If our worldview is limited to the material world, we adopt a conservation mindset: saving more to have more, working less to conserve energy.
But believing Allah owns everything changes our perspective. To have more, give more to Allah.
Another concept in charity is that consumption doesn't increase happiness. Humans experience hedonistic adaptation: initial joy from new acquisitions fades, becoming the new baseline. Happiness is found in making others happy, in giving to charity. But this requires training.
Imam Al Ghazali suggests systematic desensitization training. Find the sweet spot of charity where the amount is significant enough to impact our hearts but not so much that it cripples future giving. This sweet spot is crucial.
Consistently give at this level and gradually increase it. This cleanses our hearts from worldly love.
Islam doesn't oppose wealth. It's acceptable to have wealth, but it should be in our hands, not in our hearts, easily spent in Allah's path, unattached to it.
Our quest is to find that sweet spot for charity, not just in money, but also in time. Find a place to volunteer for Allah's sake, help others for His sake.
Dedicate an amount or time to charity regularly. Make it part of our lifestyle, for the sake of Allah.