Cultivating the Generosity of Spirit
| Khatib : | Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: | 265 |
| Khutbah Date: | 02/29/08 |
Pre-occupation with Wealth
The way people relate to wealth influences most aspects of their personal lives. For many people today, in a world where economics plays a much greater role in a persons life than ever before; where the courses we study, the professions we choose, the jobs we do, the position we hold … all make us to focus on the income we get; so much so that we have become pre-occupied and accustomed to focusing our attention where wealth is.
Islam considers the economic activities of human beings as lawful, meritorious and necessary. Islam approves of man’s  ma’aash/economic activities and considers كسب الحلال kasb-ul-halaal (earning lawful livelihood) as فريضة بعد الفريضة “an obligation next to other primary obligations”.
Like many things in this life, wealth can be a blessing نعمة / ni’mah which is beneficial; but could be detrimental نقمة /niqmah. That is perhaps why Allah also refers to wealth as a potential fitnah (trial) [Q8:28]
وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلاَدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ
More Wealth, Greater Generosity?
If you became wealthy overnight …..
what will the first thing you’d do?
is charity one of your primary focuses?
how much more charity will you give? … and what is your proof?
Many believe that the more they have, the more generous they’ll become; but is that really the case. To become MORE generous, you have to have a spirit of generosity in the first place.
It’s Not really about the Money, It’s actually about the Heart
Real generosity is not dependant so much on income as it is on the capacity of the heart. There are many who have the means to give, but not the heart to give. And there are many, who, the more they have the less they give. A writer (Henry Ward Beecher) once warned; “watch, lest prosperity destroys generosity”.
Whatever one can do to enhance the situation of others is considered generosity. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said; "There is charity due on every part of the body every day." He went on to say:
" to bring justice between people is charity, to help a person with transport and helping with baggage is charity, a good/kind word is charity, every step towards prayer is charity, removing harmful things from the way is charity and giving water to the thirsty is charity. A person's true wealth lies in the good they accrue for the Hereafter through good deeds in this world. When a person dies people say 'what has he left behind?' while angels say 'what has he sent forth?’ "
So, if you genuinely desire to become a generous person, don’t wait for your income to change; change the attitude of your heart.
Stinginess
As for those who are stingy due to fear that generosity will deplete their wealth, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
يقول العبد ، مالي مالي
و ان مالهً من ماله ثلالث؛ ما أكل فأفنى او لبس فأبلى او أَعطَى فاقتنى ؛
و ما سوى ذالك فهو ذاهب و تاركه للناس
A person says, "this is my wealth, my things" but all that he really has is three; What he consumes and digests, what he wears and wears out,
or what he gives in charity and it continues to benefit;
The rest you leave behind when you depart from this world.”
Martin Luther King Jr said: "Every person must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness" Note that the stingy person is far from people, far from Allah, far from paradise and closer to the fire of Hell. [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
Positive Aspects of Giving
The Company of the generous is Delightful. The generous focus on other than themselves, and their generosity not only makes them likeable but also makes the world a happier/better place. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said; the generous person is close to Allah, close to people, close to Paradise far from the fire of Hell. Giving makes you positive (reflect on incident of the man who gave his bonus to a lady with a “sick” baby). The aim, however, is not expecting repayment or thanks.
إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَاء وَلَا شُكُورًا
We feed you for the sake of Allah alone:
no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks [Q76:9]
Giving Adds Value to the Receiver and the Giver
Life should not really be about how much money we accrue, but rather how many people we serve; because the greater your giving, the greater your living. Giving does not devalue your worth and the Prophet said that ما نقص مال من صدقة “charity does not decrease wealth”. Remember, we are here to enrich the world, and if we ever forget that we impoverish ourselves.
In helping others we enhance ourselves, for when you light another’s path you can’t help but cast light on your own path. Realize that no one stands taller in success than the one who bends down to help those in need. We become enriched by enriching the lives of others.
The Prophet said that اِذا أحسنوا استبشروا a Believer feels good doing good. So do not do good merely to feel good, but rather feel good doing good. In a humorous incident, a beggar asked a woman for money and she said; “I’ll give you a dollar, not because you deserve it but because it pleases me”. So the beggar said; “Thanks Maam, why don’t you give me $100 and you could feel really, really good about it.”
By living a life that is helpful, one’s life becomes significant. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is … What are we doing for others?” [civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr.] How we answer that question is in a way a good measure of our spirit of generosity.
Spirit of Generosity
Characteristic of a true Believer : When asked about the characteristics of a Believer, Imam Zainul 'Abideen as-Sajjaad said;
علامات المؤمن خمس ؛ الورع فى الخلوة ، و الصَدَ قة فى القِلة ، و الصبر عند المُصِيبة ، والحِلم عند الغضب ، و الصِّدق عند الخوف
"Righteousness in privacy, generosity even when needy, patience during misfortunes, sense of control when angry and truthfulness even when fearful."
Kindness: Giving requires compassion, mercy, and love.
Selflessness: Eventually, what we do for ourselves alone dies with us, but what we do for others outlives us. Wise are the words that reminds us …
من عاش لنفسه ، عاش صغيرا ومات صغيرا ونسيه الناس
ومن عاش لغيره ، عاش كبيرا ومات كبيرا وذكره الناس .
He who lives for himself, lives small, and dies small and will be forgotten,
And he who lives for others, lives big, and dies big and will be remembered
Wise ones have said that life is not merely to have and to hold, but to give and to serve, to get and not to forget, because the service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
و الله في عون العبد ما دام العبد في عون اخيه
"Allah is at the assistance of a person
as long as that person is of help to another."
Remember the promise, people will enter Paradise;
برحمة الله و سخاوة الأنفس و سلامة الصدور
by the Mercy of Allah, through the generosity of their spirits and the soundness of their hearts. [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
We are divinely commanded ...
“Seek the other world by means of what Allah has provided for you, and do not be negligent about your share in this world. Do good as Allah has done good to you, and do not seek to spread corruption in the world.” [Qur’an 28:77]
Resolution (we made): Do something for someone (selflessness) – Our function in life is not merely to have and to hold, but to give and to serve, to get and not to forget. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: و الله في عون العبد ما دام العبد في عون اخيه Allah is at the assistance of a person as long as that person is of help to another. Remember the promise that people will enter Paradise; by the Mercy of Allah, through the generosity of their spirits and the soundness of their hearts. [Prophet Muhammad]
As we constantly remind ourselves; the quality and success for us as social beings depends tremendously on each of our abilities to develop the magnetic power of caring enough and reflecting that care in our daily attitudes, through loving words and appropriate behavior; and this begins with those who have the most right to it; those in our homes, those around us; … and then the rest of the world.