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people who were persistent in begging although, in fact, they did not deserve to receive charity. ‘Umar
reported that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, ‘One of you takes charity from me and carries it away under his
arm, and it is (Hell)-fire for him.’ ‘Umar asked, ‘O Messenger of Allâh, how can you give it to him, knowing
that it is fire for him?‘ The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied, ‘What am I to do? They ask from me persistently, and
Allâh has forbidden me to be closed-handed.’ (Reported by Abû Y‘ala on good authority; Ahmad reported
something similar on sound authority.)
If when the pressure of insistent begging induced the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) to give a beggar what he knew to be
Hell-fire for him, what can we say about the pressure of the need to defend oneself against injustice or to
regain one’s right?
Wasteful Spending
Just as the wealth of others is sacred and any violation of it, whether secret or open, is prohibited, in like
manner a person’s own wealth is sacred with respect to himself; he should not waste it by extravagant
spending, scattering it to the right and left. This is because the Muslim ummah, which constitutes an owner
in addition to every other owner, has a right to the wealth of individuals. For this reason Islâm has given the
ummah the right to manage the properties of the weak-minded who squander their wealth. The Qur‘ân says,
Do not give your wealth, which Allâh has made a means of supfor you, to the weak-minded, but feed and
clothe them from it and speak to them words of kindness. (4:5) In this ayah Allâh Subhanahu wa ‘ala refers
to the wealth of the weak-minded as “your wealth,” since the wealth of the individual is also the wealth of
the ummah.
Islâm is the religion of justice and moderation, and the ummah of Islâm is the “middle nation.” The Muslim
must be just in all his affairs. This is why Allâh has prohibited to the Believers wastefulness and extravagant
spending, as He has likewise prohibited them from greed and miserliness. Allâh Ta‘ala says: O children of
Adam, wear your beautiful apparel at every place of worship, and eat and drink but do not be wasteful;
indeed, He does not like the wasteful. (7:31)
Wasting wealth means to spend it, in large or small amounts, on what Allâh has prohibited, for example,
alcoholic beverages, drugs, gold and silver utensils, and the like, or to squander it on things which are of no
benefit either to oneself or others, since the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) prohibited the squandering of wealth.
(Compiled by al-Bukhâri.) Giving away so much in charity that one has nothing left for the necessities of life
also constitutes wasting of wealth.
In explaining the ayah,...They ask thee what they should spend (in charity). Say (Spend) what is beyond
your needs....(2:219) Imam al-Razi comments, Allâh Ta‘ala taught people how to spend their wealth. He told
His Prophet (s.a.w.s.), ‘Give to the relative his right, and to the needy and the wayfarer, but do not squander
(your wealth) wantonly; truly, the squanderers are brothers of the evil ones.’ (17:26) He also says, ‘Let not
thy hand be tied to thy neck (in miserliness), nor extend it to its utmost reach,‘ (17:29) and He said, ‘And
those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor miserly.’ (25:67) The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, ‘If
one of you has something to spend, he should start with himself, then with those whom he supports, and so
on. (Compiled by Muslim.) He also said, ‘The best charity is that which leaves you self-sufficient.’ (Reported
by al-Tabarani on good authority.) Jabir bin ‘Abdullah narrated, ‘Once when we were with Allâh’s Messenger
(s.a.w.s.), a man came with a lump of gold as large as an egg and said, “O Messenger of Allâh, take it as
charity; by Allâh, this is all I possess.” The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) turned away from him. The man came around
in front of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.), whereupon the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said angrily, “Give it to me,” and taking
the piece of gold from him threw it toward him in such a way that, had it hit him, it would have been painful to
him. He then said, “One of you brings me his wealth while he possesses nothing else, and then he sits down
and begs from people. Charity is that which leaves you self-sufficient. Take this back; we have no need of it.”
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‘ (Reported by Abû Daoud and al Hakim)
The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) reported that he used to store food for his family sufficient for one year. (Compiled by
al-Bukhâri.) Men of wisdom have said,, ‘The optimum course is between the two extremes. Spending much
is squandering, while spending little is greed, and moderation is best.’ This is the meaning of the words of
Allâh, ‘Say: (Spend) What is beyond your needs,‘ (2:219) and moderation is the foundation of the Shari‘ah
brought by Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). The foundation of the Jewish law is extreme harshness and that of
Christian law extreme laxity, while the Shari‘ah of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) is in the middle of all such matters.
That is why it is the most perfect of all systems of law. (Tafsir by al-Fakhr al-Deen al-Razi, vol. 6, p. 51, with
some condensation.)
Social Relationships
The relations among the members of the Islâmic society are based on two fundamental principles: first,
awareness of the strong bond of brotherhood which links one individual to another, and second, the
protection of the rights of the individual and the sanctity of his life, honor, and property, as guaranteed by the
Shari‘ah of Islâm.
Any words, deed, or behavior, which contravenes or threatens these two principles is prohibited by Islâm,
the degree of prohibition depending on the magnitude of material or moral injury which might result from it. In
the following ayat we find some examples of those prohibited acts which are injurious to the brotherhood and
sanctity of human beings. Allâh Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala says: Verily, the Believers are brothers. Then set
matters right between your brothers and be conscious of Allâh in order that you may obtain mercy. O you
who believe, let not some people mock at other people, for they may be better than themselves, nor (let)
women (mock) at women who may be better than themselves. And do not slander yourselves, nor revile by
(offensive) nicknames; evil is a name connoting wickedness after believing; and whoever does not turn away
(from doing this), those are wrongdoers. O you who believe, avoid (indulging in) much suspicion; truly, some
suspicion is a sin. And do not spy or backbite one another; would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead
brother? You would abhor that. And be conscious of Allâh; indeed, Allâh is Relenting, Merciful. (49:10-12)
Here Allâh proclaims that the Believers are indeed brothers to one another united through the brotherhood of
Islâm in addition to their brotherhood in humanity. This brotherly relationship requires that they get to know
each other and do not avoid each other, that they establish ties and do not break them, that they love and do
not hate, that they be sincere and not superficial, and that they come together and do not separate from one
another. And the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) says, Do not be envious of each other, nor backbite nor hate one
another, but become brothers in the service of Allâh. (Compiled by al-Bukhâri and others.)
Special Consideration for the People of the Book
While Islâm does not prohibit Muslims to be kind and generous to peoples of other religions, even if they are
idolaters and polytheists, as for example, the polytheists of Arabia, concerning whom the above verses were
revealed, it looks upon the People of the Book, that is, Jews and Christians, with special regard, whether
they reside in a Muslim society or outside it.
The Qur‘ân never addresses them without saying, “O People of the Book” or “O You who have been given
the Book,” indicating that they were originally people of a revealed religion. For this reason these exists a
relationship of mercy and spiritual kinship between them and the Muslims, all having in common the
principles of the one true religion sent by Allâh through his prophets (peace be on them all): He has ordained
for (the Muslims) the same religion which He enjoined on Noah, and that which We have revealed to thee
(Muhammad) and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: that you should establish the
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