Almighty Allah Says in the holy
Qur’an,” The likeness of those who spend their wealth in Allah’s way is as the
likeness of a grain which growth seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains.
Allah giveth increase manifold to whom He will. Allah is All –Embracing.
All-Knowing.” (Al-Baqarah:261) These verses reveal the great reward for spending
in the way of Allah For example, if a faithful believer spends only one rupee,
pound or dollar etc.) Then its reward is: as he spends thousands or more in the
way of Allah. So, glory is to Allah, for giving the great reward for it.
The question is: what we spend, whether it reaches to Allah? Surely not, but it
benefits to the poor and the needy ones. In fact, Islam is the deen of sympathy
and shares in the pain and trouble of others. The holy Qur’an reveals that Allah
Almighty distributed the daily bread among the people. Due to this distribution,
we find that there are the poor and the rich and the middle men in the society.
Therefore, Islam orders to faithful rich believers to give the poor-due,
charity, or Sadaqat etc. to the needy ones. So that they may also pass their
lives easily. The holy Qur’an mentions,” It is not righteousness that ye turn
faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and
the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the Prophets; and giveth his
wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the
wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper
worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make
one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are
they who are sincere. Such are the God-fearing.” (Al-Baqarah:177)
But considerable is that, only those sadaqat or charity will be accepted and
rewardable in the way of Allah, that is pure from hypocrisy. It means that
someone spends money in the way of Allah only to display himself as a “
bountiful man” and not for the sake of Allah. The Holy Qur’an reveals, “O ye who
believe! Render no vain your almsgiving by reproach and injury, like him who
spendeth his wealth only to be seen of men and believeth not in Allah and the
Last Day. His likeness is as the likeness of a rock whereon is dust of earth; a
rainstorm smiteth it, leaving it smooth and bare. They have no control of aught
of that which they have gained. Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk.
And the likeness of those who spend their wealth in search of Allah’s pleasure,
and for the strengthening of their souls, is as the likeness of a garden on a
height. The rainstorm smiteth it and it bringeth forth its fruit twofold. And if
the rainstorm smiteh it not, then the shower. Allah is Seer of what ye do.”
(Al-Baqarah:265)
Zakat (Poor-due) is also a source of the spending in the way of Allah. Faithful
believers who have a particular amount of Gold, silver, cash or goods for
trading, deserve to pay Zakat. The holy Prophet (PBUH) said that every goods
that lost in the earth or in the ocean, is due to none paying of Zakat. (Al-Mishkat)
There is tough warning for those who don’t pay Zakat as the holy Qur’an
reveals:-
“They who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah, unto
them give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom,
On the day when it will (all) be heated in the fire of hell, and their foreheads
and their flanks and their backs will be branded therewith (and it will be said
unto them): Here is that which ye hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what ye
used to hoard.”
The holy Prophet (PBUH) said that the goods that’s Zakat was not paid, would be
an awesome dragon at the Day of Judgment, and would cling up to the neck of the
none-payer of Zakat and bite to him. He would say to him,” Please let me free,
let me free” The dragon replied,” not at all, not at all, I am your goods that’s
zakat had not been paid”(Al-Mishkat)
In short, spending in the way of Allah is necessary to every faithful believer.
May it be Zakat, that is obligatory or Sadaqat and charity that is preferable.
So that he may be safe from the anger of Allah, and may get the reward.