Friday Khutbah (3rd 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.First Khutba
We know that the Prophet SAW sent Muath Ibn Jabal Rudyallahu-anhu to Yemen as a preacher to Islam and a teacher of the Monotheistic Islamic Faith – inviting to Allah with the wisdom of the Messenger of Allah SAW that he taught Muath when he said:
"You are going to a people who are People of the Scripture. Invite them to
accept the shahadah: that there is no god but Allah and I am His Messenger. If they accept and affirm this, tell them that Allah, the Glorious One, has enjoined five prayers upon them during the day and night. If they accept that, tell them also that He has enjoined sadaqah upon their assets which will be taken from the rich of the (Muslim) community and distributed to the poor.”
The Prophet SAW has told Muath Ibn Jabal that this Sadaqa is the Zakah that is taken from the wealth of the rich and distributed to the poor, the needy and the people who deserve to benefit from this monetary obligation that Allah the Most High mentioned in His Book by His saying:
“In fact the sadaqah (zakah) collection is for the poor, the helpless, those employed to administer the funds, those whose hearts need to be won over to the truth, ransoming the captives, helping the destitute, in the Way of Allah and for the wayfarer. That is a duty enjoined by Allah; and Allah is All-Knowledgeable, Wise.” (Surah Tauba 9:60)
So this is the guidance of prophecy that indicates Zakah, in the perspective of Islam, is spending some of the wealth of the nation, among the nation. The rich are as much a part of that nation as the poor are.
O Muslims, Islam has commanded Zakah as one of the solutions to solve poverty, so it is the social and financial pillar from the five pillars of Islam, and by it – with Tauhid (belief in one God) and the establishment of prayer – an individual enters into the community of muslims, deserves their brotherhood and is among them that day. Just as He the Most High says:
“However, if they repent, establish Salah and pay Zakah, then they shall be your brethren in faith: thus do We spell out Our revelations for a people of understanding” (Surah Taubah 9:11)
So Zakah is a monetary worship aimed at the rich extending their hand to the poor to satisfy the needs of the poor and towards satisfying the aims of muslim public service. So it is an obligation relating to the spare wealth of the rich (that which exceeds their own and their dependants’ needs). From their wealth - whether it is cash, goods, cattle, crops or their harvest. So Islam, by regulating this monetary worship helps the upkeep of individual’s rights, gives independence to and frees the work and earnings of people and gives the community’s rights on the individuals to preserve unity, solidarity and cooperation.
Each individual in the muslim community takes from the community his rights and the community takes from that individual its rights. By this principle, social solidarity will be achieved under the umbrella of Islamic Sacred Law that commands to justice (al adl), perfecting our Din (al ihsan), giving to kith and kin (qurba wa yanha) and forbidding indecency (fahsha).
Islam wants from mankind generally, and the muslim in particular, that they all aspire to benefit in the shade of the Islamic Group, to live a good life, and to enjoy from what Allah created that is good. So was it not Allah the Glorious and the Most High who created this goodness for you but also deprived you from it, as He says in the Qur’an:
“He also subjected to you whatever is between the heavens and the
earth; all from Himself” (Surah Jathiyah 45:13)
“Do you not see that Allah has subjected to your (use) all things in the heavens and on earth and has made His bounties flow to you in exceeding measure (both) seen and unseen?” (Surah Luqman 31:20)
Hunger is not something that Islam likes and the Prophet SAW says:
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from hunger, for it is an evil bed-fellow..." (related in Abu Dawood)
Allah has taken responsibility to provide food and security to his slaves as He mentions in the Qur’an:
“And there is no living creature on earth but it depends for its sustenance on Allah” (Surah Hud 6:6)
“and He bestowed blessings upon it and in four periods provided it with sustenance according to the needs of all those who live in and ask for it.” (Surah Fussilat 41:10)
And it is not from Allah’s justice to create His creation and abandon them without provision and means of livelihood as Allah mentions in Surah Araf:
“We are the One Who established you on earth, and provided you means of your sustenance therein: yet little it is that you give thanks.” (Surah Araf 7:10)
Islam calls for:
· work, productivity and striving on earth
· moderate consumption
· distribution with justice
by this means Islam satisfies the needs of the poor, the miskin (the one who does not get enough to satisfy him but does not beg) and the destitute. So from here Islam has commanded zakah upon the muslim and also commanded different things such as Zakat-ul-Fitr and encourages charitable donations at all times.
Allah mentions in the Qur’an:
“The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is that of a grain that sprouts into seven ears, each bearing one hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wishes. Allah has boundless knowledge.” (Surah Baqarah 2:261)
“Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance from His servants and takes their sadaqah and surely Allah is the One Who is the Accepter of Repentance, the Merciful?” (Surah Taubah 9:104)
Second Khutba
So know O Muslim, that by paying the zakah on your money you are thanking Allah the Most Glorious, Most High for the blessings He bestowed upon you. The physical worship is a kind of thanks for the facility of our bodies and so Zakah and spending money is thanks for the blessing of money. Those who Allah has given lots of wealth and has made independent of the need of others should look at the poor who are in need of others. But man’s lower self does not allow him to truly thank Allah the Most Glorious, Most High for His blessings and bounties.
And know O Muslim, that by paying Zakah on your money you purify yourself from the diseases of miserliness and strong attachment to wealth as is mentioned in Surah Taghabun.
“Those who are saved from the covetousness of their own souls, it is they who are truly successful.” (Surah at Taghabun 64:16)
because Zakah frees the giver from slavery to the dirham and dinar and allows him to be a true slave of Allah.
And know that by paying Zakah on your money you in fact preserve your wealth and even grow it as Allah promises in Surah Rum:
“That usury, which you give to increase the wealth of people, does not increase with Allah: but the Zakah that you give to seek the pleasure of Allah shall be repaid to you many times over.” (Surah Rum 30:39)
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