May the Ramadaan Spirit of Generosity Remain
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
213 |
| Khutbah Date: |
10/20/06 |
[b]وَأَنفِقُوا مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ [/b][b]فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنِي إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ[/b][b]وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَاء أَجَلُهَا وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ[/b][i]Spend in charity out of the provision which We have bestowed on you, before death should come to any of you and he should say, “O my Lord! Why do Thou not give me respite just for a little while and I will be generous and be one of the doers of good.” But to no soul will Allah grant respite, for when the time appointed has come, there is no delay; and Allah is well-acquainted with everything that you do. [Qur’an 63: 10-11] [/i]We have been blessed to witness the greatest month (greater than a thousand months [Q 97:3] on the annual calendar …[list][*]the month of Ramadaan (mentioned in the Qur’an in relation to the Qur’an [Q2:185] [/*][*]month of the Qur’an (revelation commenced on Night of Power [Q97:1-2] [/*][*]month of fasting [Q2:183 - 185] [/*][*]month of increased generosity [Q2:184] [/*][/list]
Sharing the Gift of PossessionThe way people relate to wealth influences most aspects of their personal lives. For many people, where the wealth is, there their attention is focused. It is true that we should not disdain the world [Q 28:77 which Allah has created for our benefit [Q14:31-34] but should also not let it create in us a degree of greed and selfishness [Q 9: 34-35] that may undermine our potential for doing good]; nor should we miss the opportunity in life to be of benefit [Q 63: 10-11]. Selfishness/stinginess can never be good [Q3:180] After all, we realize, that part of our duty as creation of Allah, is to be of benefit to others
ان الله تعا لى خلق الخلا ئق لحواائج الناس"Surely, Allah created creation to be of benefit to humanity." and the Prophet (pbuh) reminded us: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." Spirit of RamadaanAs Ramadaan comes to a close we call to mind the words of our beloved Prophet (pbuh) who said that
most people will not enter Paradise merely due to prayer, fasting or charity, but rather due to …برحمة الله وسخاوة الأنفس و سلامة الصدورthe mercy of Allah, generosity of spirit and purity of heart.This encapsulates the very spirit of Ramadaan, seeking the Mercy of Allah, enhancing the spirit of generosity and repairing our hearts. Perpetuating Generosity through Zakatul-FitrSo emphatic is the injunction to generosity that the Qur’an employs five specific terms for the injunction to charity:
zakaah / obligatory charity,
sadaqah / charity,
khairat / good deeds,
ihsan / kindness and consideration,
infaq fi sabil Allah / spending for the sake of Allah. In appreciation of the countless bounties of Allah [Q16: 18], in gratitude to the provisions with which Allah has Blessed us [Q ], in perpetuation of the tradition of Prophets (peace be upon them) [Q21:73][Q 19:31] and in fulfillment of our obligation [Q2:43]; we give
zakaah to assist ... the poor, the needy, for those who administer the charitable operations, those whose hearts are reconciled /inclined to Islam, freeing those in bondage, helping those in dire debt, assisting travelers in need and spending in the Way of Allah. [Q 9:60] Zaka-tul-Fitr is a specific charity, due on
every member of the household that has to be paid by the provider of that household; as log as that household has enough provision for more than one day. The Prophet declared this
zaka-tul-fitr / sadaqa-tul-fitr as a pre-requisite for the acceptance of the Ramadaan fast. It must be aid in Ramadaan, before the performance of Eid-ul-Fitr prayer.
Maintaining the Spirit of GenerosityThe Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:
ما نقص مال من صدقة“Never does charity cause wealth to diminish.”People are often so engrossed in this world that they forget that this world is only temporary [Q 10:24] .As for those who are stingy due to fear that generosity will deplete their wealth, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: يقول العبد ، مالي ماليو اِنَّ مالُهُ من ماله ثلالثٌ؛ ما أكل فأفنى او لبس فأبلى او أعَطى فاقتنى ؛و ما سوى ذالك فهو ذاهبٌ و تاركُه للناسA 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.”And he (pbuh) said; اذا مات الميِّت ُ فقال بنوا آدم ما خلَف ؛ و قالت الملائكة ما قدَّم؟when a person dies; people ask “what has he left behind in this world?” while the angels ask “what has he sent forth for the Hereafter?”. Generosity Inherent in the Faith of the FaithfulNot only is generosity ingrained in the very essence of our faith (as a pillar of Islam) but
كل معروف صدقة every good act is viewed in the spirit of charity. We are thus exhorted to rush towards doing good and not to delay; because incapacity, old age, ill-health or death [Q63:10] may later deny us the opportunity to do the best
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