Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Charity

Almsgiving is one of the five pillars of Islam. Every year each Muslim is obliged to give one fortieth of his liquid assets to other Muslims in need. As daily prayer and fasting are undertaken for the cleansing of one’s soul, almsgiving is the worship proper to one’s material belongings. It purifies our possessions and makes them lawful. As charity is the best of deeds, so stinginess is a grave sin. Hadrat Ibn ‘Arabi says, “The one who gives from his sustenance receives more from God than he gave. The miser, in addition to the sin of miserliness, is guilty of distrusting the Ultimate Sustainer, and depends on his miserable goods over the generosity of his Lord. Therefore spend from what God has given you and do not fear poverty. God will give you what is destined for you, whether you ask for it or not. No one who has been generous has ever perished in destitution.” He also relates a story that a saint of the time, misunderstood by the public, was accused of heresy and condemned to be killed. While he was being brought to the place of execution, he passed a baker. He asked the man to give him half a loaf of bread on credit. The baker, having pity on him, gave him the bread. Further ahead on the road there was a beggar. The saint gave the bread to him. When the procession reached the place of execution, the sentencing judge, following the custom, asked the public gathered there whether they gave their final approval for the execution of the man whom they had declared a heretic and a tyrant. The people cried in unison, “No, this man is a saint, not a heretic! He is the expression of divine justice, not a tyrant!” The judge was shocked to hear this reversal, and had to release him. The judge asked the saint the reason for the public’s favor, “Is your wrath greater, or God’s?” the saint inquired. The judge had to admit that God’s wrath was greater. “Is half a loaf of bread larger, or a date?” The judge agreed that half a loaf of bread was larger. “Haven’t you heard the sayings of the Prophet of God?” the saint asked him. “He said, ‘Protect yourself from the wrath of God and His punishment by giving to the needy, even if it is half a date.’ And also, ‘Charity puts out the fire of punishment and protects from early death.’” (The Tree of Being:Shajarat al-kawn. An Ode to the Perfect Man. Interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. Archetype Pub. London, 2005)

No comments: