Friday Khutbah (10th June 2005) delivered by Shaykh Muhammad Taher
DISCLAIMER: This reminder was originally delivered in Arabic. Any meanings lost in translation are not to be attributed to the speaker as reminders are translated by volunteers. The mosque has no official translater and volunteers often have no formal qualifications to translate on the day. Please forgive any errors as they are from our human weakness and any right guidance is from Allah.Allah swt describes his honest believers in the verse of true faith (Surah Baqarah 2:177) that we have been discussing in the khutbas of recent weeks
“it is not al-birr that you turn your faces towards east or west; But it is al-birr – to believe in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Book and the Messengers; to spend out of your substance out of love of Him for your kin, orphans, the needy, the traveller, those who ask and for the ransom of slaves….”.
– After fulfilling the salah He said:
“and give zakah”.
Zakah is a kind of monetary worship and one of the pillars of Islam like salah, fasting and hajj and is compulsory upon Muslims. Money is taken from the rich people and given to the poor, the helpless, those employed to administer the funds, those whose hearts need to be won over to the truth, to ransom the captives, help the destitute, in the Way of Allah and for the traveller. These are the rulings of Allah. We will return to them after reflecting upon the biggest and strongest people who control the world.
O Muslim, it is Allah’s wisdom that people are different in their way of life and He has raised some above others. They differ in their share of this life and from relative strength or weakness. So they will differ in poverty and richness. And it is even from His wisdom that some of his creatures provide for others by their work and striving in this life. Allah swt said:
“Is it they who distribute the blessings of your Rabb? It is We Who distribute the means of their livelihood in the life of this world, raising some in rank above others, so that some may take others into their service. But the blessing of your Rabb is far greater in value than the wealth of this world which they amass.” [Zukhruf 43:32]
This is a part of the circle of life but greediness and high regard for money, which is part of human nature, dominate the people so that the rich are keen to keep and accumulate wealth. They neglect the rights of the poor and the needy. They take for themselves the luxuries and joys of this life without giving it to others. This causes strong envy in the hearts of the poor. This creates enmity in the soul of the hard -workers. We are all aware of the Revolutions in history which happened – they were against the rich and the capitalists and resulted from the oppression of the poor. This problem continues to this day.
The treasures of the world are controlled by unjust people in direct and indirect ways. This is reflected in their conspiracies to control the future direction of nations, fabricating any reason to conquer the lands of the third world which contain huge resources. The people of these lands are prohibited from it because of the domination of corrupted leadership. So nowadays we see a group in the world calling themselves the Greatest 8 - they control the world of the poor under different names such as the World Bank and other organisations which sink the world in huge and endless debts. Under this pressure, the unjust nations put conditions in order to control the politics, governments and resources of these countries. However, a group of wise people is alert to this conspiracy and so they campaign against the politics of these unjust nations.
So come brothers and sisters and see how Islam firmly established the principles which understood and prevented these problems. Let us examine the principles laid down by the Qur’an in both eras – the era calling to Islam in Makkah and the era of implementing sacred law in Medinah. The following principles have been used from the Qur’an to cure the previously mentioned serious social problems.
a) First principle
The Qur’an stated that money which is in the hands of the rich people is like a deposit given in trust by Allah swt to protect it, administer it and distribute it using their abilities and by spending it in a good and beneficial way:
“Believe in Allah and His Rasool and spend in charity out of what you have been made the inheritors of, for those of you who believe and spend in charity shall be richly rewarded” [Hadid 57:7]
“if you find them deserving, and give them some of the wealth which Allah has given you.” [Nur 24:33]
Allah holds sole dominion of wealth and sovereignty of the worlds.
b) Second principle
Islam fought the disease of miserliness in man which prevents him from being merciful and generous, assisting the poor, weak, needy and the person who is in hardship and difficulty. Islam prohibited the taking advantage of those in desperate need. Allah swt said:
“Those who are saved from the miserliness of hearts are the ones who will achieve true success.” [Hashr 59:9]
The Prophet SAW said:
“Avoid miserliness (shuh) because it destroyed the ones who came before. It commanded them to disconnect the ties of the womb and they did. It commanded them to be stingy (bukhl) and they were. It commanded them to behave in an evil and insulting manner and they did.”
In another narration
“It pushed them to shed blood and they did. It pushed them to legalise what was forbidden and they did.”
Is this saying of the Prophet (SAW) not an accurate, comprehensive and disturbing description of the problems of this social disease of miserliness and being tight-fisted.
O’ Muslims,
Islam moves the moral side of humanity. Allah swt multiplies charity and raises it, gives reward for it and promises a pleasant life. Islam encourages taking care of the poor and needy. To feed them and to make a provision from your zakah for them and to give them their rights at the time of distributing inheritance:
“And when near of kin and orphans and needy person are present at the time of distribution [of inheritance], give them something thereof for their sustenance, and speak to them in kindly way” [Nisa 4:8]
And give them their rights by way of (kaffarat) expiation upon breakings oaths and expiation upon the act of calling wives their mother’s backs in an attempt to divorce them. And give them fidya i.e. expiation for breakings fasts early during Ramadan.
Allah swt has explained and showed the wisdom in giving the poor and needy these rights from the wealthy – to avoid a group of wealthy people dominating and controlling these monies in their hands and forbidding the needy from it:
“so that it may not be [a benefit] going round and round among such of you as may [already] be rich.” [Hashr 59:7]
We will have a talk about the rulings of zakah with the permission of Allah.
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