The Best in Islam #09 – Charity (Part 3 of 4)

Salam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

I'd like to welcome you to another in our series,

the best in Islam. In this segment, we'll be looking at what is best with regards to charity. And we have been looking at it for a number of segments right now. We looked at Quranic verses with regards to it, we looked at some Hadith in the previous two sections, and we continue to look at Hardee's, guiding and governing charity, there are so many, perhaps more in this particular area than any of the other areas because of the importance of charity, in the lives of human beings in society. Charity

plays a major role in the functioning of human society, because they're always tragedy, they're always calamity. So without a charitable foundation without a charitable way,

without being charitable voluntarily, then the society is unable to cope with the needs of it, citizens in any way.

And Alhamdulillah evidence that this charitable nature

is infused in Muslims can be found in a report, which was recently published in the UK, where they said that of all of the various communities of the UK, from different parts of the world from India, from Africa, from America, from Russia, all the different communities from China, all the communities that the most charitable of all of the communities were the Muslim, there was no contest. It wasn't that there was a contest and the Muslims have tried to beat everybody else out. No, they just didn't survey. And they found that the Muslims were the most charitable. This is because Islam has put so much of a premium on charity, and charity

is

the safety net. It is the pillow. It's the comfort that the society needs to be able to function effectively, where its citizens, the community are able to get past the various tragedies, calamities, which happen in all societies. So Prophet Muhammad may God's peace and blessings be upon him, was quoted by Abu IU and Hakeem Ibn his arm

as saying,

of the sadhaka t as sadaqa to Allah, the Rahim al cash, the best charity, is that given to a resentful relative, the best charity is that given to a resentful relative, in our previous episode, we spoke about charity, best given from surplus so we don't hurt our family. And we should strive to be the givers, not the receivers. And as the Prophet SAW Salem had said, we should begin with our relatives. So now he has elaborated in terms of who we give our relatives.

The best charity is to give to a resentful relative. That resentful relative is one who has bad feelings towards you. Of course, that's the one you would least want to give. You would say, Well, why O Messenger of Allah? Why should that be the best charity to give to the one who dislikes us the most?

It seems to be it's it goes against nature. You know our name

I choose to give to the one who likes us the most we like the most. That's the one that we give. We like the ones the most, who like us the most. I mean, that's how we are naturally. We like those who like us. We don't like those who don't like us. That's, that's just how it is. So what now? Why does that charity given to the one who doesn't like us? Better than giving to the one who likes us?

Now, this is relative to the giver, this is relative to the giver. Because now you have to struggle. This has nothing to do with wealth of your families, so you're depriving them of anything? No, it's you and your own knifes your own soul, your own self, your nature is not to give to that person, you have to overcome that. And that becomes the great spirit of charity, where you give, even though there is resentment, this is the great struggle, this is the Great Spirit, you give to that person, that very person who resents you, who dislikes you, who has spoken about you, maybe even slandered you,

but you give to that person. Why?

Because this is how you heal the wounds. That person is resentful and slanderous, or gossiping, whatever, because they have been hurt, maybe not by you directly, somehow, indirectly, they have been hurt. And you become the focus of their resentment. And Allah had said, in Surah, facilite, verse 34, the good deed and the evil deed, are not equal. So repel evil, with what is better, repel evil in five bility. Here ACEN Repel evil with what is better than the one between whom and you there was emnity will be like a close friend. At that point, when you're able to repel their evil, their resentment, their hatred,

their jealousy, you repel it with charity,

then it soothes them,

it modifies their behavior, they change in their outlook towards you. And they may become, as Allah said, maybe the best of your friends, they become a close friend.

Because they know, they know that you know, that they don't like you, you know it is not hidden, because their resentment is open. So when you give in spite of that,

it will cause a person who has any kind of goodness in their heart, it will touch them.

Of course, if they're evil, they have no goodness in their heart, then of course, you're giving you're not giving it's like the same, but you don't know that. You can't judge and say okay, well, this relative of mine, who's resentful, I know this one has no good. So I'm not gonna give this one but this other one, I think they have some good songs. No, that's not our job. Allah knows what is in the hearts. The one you thought, had no good, maybe the one with all the good. And the one you thought had the good, maybe the one without the good, you don't know that. We don't know what goes on in people's hearts. And we're not required to know that is the realm of God. So what we do is we

just try to do what is best. And this is the advice that Allah gave us. And the Prophet may God's peace and blessings be upon him reiterated when he said that the best charity is that given to a resentful relative, that's the struggle,

struggle over our nafs over our own desires, struggle over that individual, his or her resentment in spite of it, Inshallah, we will win their hearts because charity, gifts, generosity, it heals. It heals the wounds of the hearts and the souls.

So, inshallah we're going to take a brief break

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So, welcome back from the break, in our previous segment of this episode, an episode on charity. Continuing in a series of guidance from the Quran and the Sunnah, which advises with regards to the best aspects of charity, we looked at

the idea of who we should give that charity to, we said to segments before that charity was best given to our relatives, those who are closest to us those who are dependent upon us, either dependent by direct relationships, or by distant relationships, cousins, uncles, etc. They're dependent, they're part of our

extended family.

But then when we have to choose among them to give the Prophet may God's peace and blessings be upon him, had said that the one who is most resentful TO US

THE ONE jealous of our success, who is gossiping behind our back, even slandering us, etcetera, give to this individual to heal the wounds in his heart or her heart that has led them to this behavior. Actions speak louder than words you could tell them. People could tell them no, don't do this is not good. This is your relative to one's own. So it doesn't change them. They will still say Yaya, you right? Yes, sure, sure. But they still go ahead and do it anyway. But when you make this act,

something, they would never expect it, you're the last person in the world, they would have expected to give something to them. You are the last person who they would expect any charity from, when you give it

you will have a massive impact. If, as we said there is any goodness in their heart. If there's any the least amount of goodness, it will touch it. And it's the beginning of healing, or could be a complete healing. So the Prophet, may God's peace and blessings be upon him put that weight on our shoulders, to give to one who we don't want to give to. We know this person for what he or she is,

what they've been doing what they've been saying. But now we're asked to give to them. So we have to overcome our own desires not to give. And obviously, when you have this spiritual struggle to overcome

our own weaknesses, then the reward is greater. So that's the bottom line. That's a general principle in terms of reward from God, that where we have a greater struggle

in order to do that righteous act, the reward for it is naturally going to be greater. The Prophet may God's peace and blessings be upon him, was narrated

by I will Herrera to have said

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the best charity is that given with great difficulty, by one who is destitute,

and you should begin giving with your own dependence, say the last part, begin giving with your own dependents reiteration of what was said, by the province of Salem, give to your close relatives, give to your relatives. First and foremost, Charity begins at home.

But here now the province wa Salam is saying that the best charity is to give when there is great difficulty, by one who is destitute, you have a limited amount,

and you give,

you have a limited amount, yet you give your giving, when you really shouldn't be receiving, but you are giving, that's the best charity. How could that be? We just said before the Prophet Muhammad says I love said, the best charity is giving from your surplus. That is for those who have surplus, that hadith is not contradicting this hadith. For those who have the surplus, then it's best that they give from the surplus. If you have a surplus, it's best that you give from that surplus. And when you give you give to those who are closest to you, first and foremost, and especially from those who are closest to you, you should give to the ones who dislike you.

But now if you have nothing

to them, then you have no chance to get the reward of generosity. If you have nothing. I remember

watching a program with a very famous individual

in which she was saying that

she was visiting a family

in a war, torn area, Muslim family.

And she was welcomed into the home, she was a journalist, collecting news doing news, she was welcomed into the home, this lady invited her in beaming home, which was very simple, there was nothing in there, virtually an empty room with a little carpet on the middle of the floor with some

few plates of limited food.

And she was invited in to come and eat from it. And

it was in Ramadan. And she was expressing how she felt resentful.

The woman, the journalist was resentful of Islam. She said, What kind of religion is this?

Which

demands of this woman in need to fast first and foremost, actually, too fast, that she doesn't eat, she's already struggling, she hardly has food etc. And now here she is being asked not to eat. And furthermore, she's giving the resentment that she had, of course, was balanced with her love of the woman, woman was so kind etc, etc. And she stopped with her. And in talking to her, she asked her, you know, why do you fast? She said, I fast to know, and to understand the feelings of the poor. This is what is happening those people who are truly without eye fast, so I can better understand how they feel sharing and what they're experiencing, and

being able to help them that there are people who are worse off than fasting reminds me of that because still I'm choosing to fast. There are people who don't have any choice. They don't they fast because they have nothing.

And the woman just said at that point. They said a religion which would bring out this quality in the person in spite of the destitute situation that they're in. He said, This has to be the religion of God and she converted to Islam because truly, truly giving in that state of destitution this is a good

Rate sacrifice.

And Islam calls for the sacrifice for the sake of Allah, that there are always people who are worse off than us. They're always people worse off. When you have a surplus, it's easy to give. When you have no surplus, it's difficult to give. So giving when it is most difficult, obviously, as the greater reward, just as we said, the greater reward is there. Similarly, when you have nothing, giving then has a greater reward. And when you have something,

again, it's quite reasonable, quite logical. This is the struggle because ultimately, the reward is with that spiritual struggle. The greater the struggle, the greater the reward. And this is what the Prophet SAW Salem is telling us so that nobody is excused from

charity. We can all be charitable. And this is what's coming out at the end of Ramadan.

At the end of Ramadan, everybody is required to give zakat and fitter

those people who would normally not give Zakah

are giving the cattle fitter. People who would normally be receiving charity,

are being charitable, as long as they're able, you're able to give you give. So everybody shares in the giving, and the receiving. And that spirit is there at the end of the month of fasting, in gratitude to Allah, for what He has given everyone, though you may not have been given that much, you still have been given enough that you can give.

So this is your chance also to give.

So as the Prophet, may God's peace and blessings be upon him said

the best charity is that given with great difficulty, by one who is destitute, and you should begin giving charity with your own dependents, look after your family, Charity begins at home and no one

no one is excused from charity as long as we are able, not necessarily having lots of surplus excess, but as long as we can give and we can still survive. And Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam gave us this guidance in order for us to achieve the higher levels of charity, the spiritual heights

of charity. And with that, we are closing the session from the best in Islam under the theme of charity, so now why they come rahmatullahi wa barakato