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Spending in the Cause of Allah [Infaaq] |
What is
INFAAQ?
The word
INFAAQ is from the root N-F-Q, which means expending
(money) or dispensing (gifts) etc. The word NAFAQ, of
which the plural is “ANFAAQ”, also means hole
of rats or mice, particularly a hole which has two openings
so that the rats or mice can enter from one opening and exit
from the other. The word NAIFAQ means “a part
of the trousers which is turned down at the top, and sewed
and through which the waistband passes in such a way that it
enters from one side and comes out from the other side. From
this the meaning of INFAAQ can be understood, i.e. to
earn money on the one hand and to expend it on the other
hand, without hoarding. The Arabic word for a Hypocrite is
MUNAAFAQ which also has the same root N-F-Q,
signifying that he has both the options open to him. When he
is with the disbelievers, he says, “I am a disbeliever” and
when he is with the believers, he says, “I am a believer”.
Allah’s
command for INFAAQ [i.e. spending]
In 2:254,
Allah commands spending.
2:254 O You who Believe! Spend of that with which we have
provided for you. Do that before the day comes when no
bargaining, friendship or intercession shall be of any
avail. Those who reject such sensible admonition, do grave
injustice to themselves.
The REAL
momineen are only those who spend in the cause of
Allah [8:3-4]:
8:3-4 “Those who establish SALAH and SPEND (benevolently) out
of what We have given them. Such in truth are the believers:
they have grades of dignity with their Lord, and
forgiveness, and generous sustenance”
Every claim of
piety or righteousness is false unless one does spend in the
cause of Allah [3:92]
3:92 “By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless you give
(freely) of that which you love; and whatever you give, of a
truth Allah knows it well.”
The nearness
to Allah can be obtained by spending in the cause of Allah
The Quran has
not mentioned and CHILLA or MARAQBA to attain
the nearness of Allah but a way to nearness of Allah is to
spend in the cause of Allah [9:99]
9:99 And among the Bedouins are those who believe in Allah
and the Last Day and consider their spending as a means
of nearness to Allah and a means of supporting the
Messenger. This will raise their ranks with Allah. Allah
will embrace them with His Mercy. Verily, Allah is
Forgiving, Gracious.
Spending From
what?
A. From
whatever Allah has provide-little or more
According to
2:3, 2:254, 4:39, 13:22, 14:31, 22:35, 28:54, Allah says
that spending is FROM WHAT ALLAH HAS PROVIDED [MIMMA
RAZAKNAKUM]. This means that whatever little or more,
Allah has provided, we must spend from it. Allah has not
mentioned any minimum amount that we must have before we
should spend. If we have less then we must spend from it and
if we have more then we must spend from it.
B. In
prosperity as well as in adversity
The verse
3:134 makes it clear that the spending is both in times of
prosperity as well as times of adversity, i.e. in good times
as well as in bad times.
C. The rich
should spend according to their means and the poor should
spend according to their means
According to a
principle derived from 65:7, the rich should spend according
to their means and the poor should spend according to their
means
Spending For
what purpose?
Spending is in
the cause of Allah [2:195]
Spending on
Whom?
-Parents,
-Family and
relatives,
-Orphans,
widows, and those who are left helpless,
-Those whose
hard earned income is insufficient to meet their basic
needs, those whose businesses have stalled, and those who
have lost their jobs,
-The needy
wayfarer, the homeless son of the street, and the one who
has come to your town in a destitute condition [2:215]
-The needy who
are suffering in the Cause of Allah and cannot emigrate
-Those who are
unable to go about the earth in search of livelihood.
-One, who is
unaware of their condition, might think they are free from
want, because they abstain from begging. But you can
recognize them by the marks on their faces because they do
not ask people insistently.[2:273]
Spending How
much?
Whatever is
redundant and abundant should be spent. Whatever is
exceeding from what is necessary, should be spent.[2:219]
How to spend?
The Manners:
Do not
reproach those whom you give, for what you confer upon them
Do not remind
them of your generosity
Do not recount
your gifts to them
Do not hurt
them with any annoying remarks [2:262, 2:264]
Spending can
be open or secret [2:274, 13:22, 14:31, 35:29] but Do not
spend just to be seen or to show off [2:264, 4:38]
Spend from
what is TAYYAB [i.e. what is good and you yourself
like] [2:267]
Spend from
things you love [3:92]
Spend from
what you have earned with your hard work [2:267]
When to spend?
Spending is
day and night [2:274], whenever you have the resources
and there is a needy. There is no waiting period for a
year before spending
The exemption
Only those are
exempted from spending in the cause of Allah, who have
absolutely no resources at all to spend but who are sincere
in their other duties to Allah [9:91]
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