Charity in Monotheistic Religions

লিখেছেন লিখেছেন রেজাউল হক ০১ ফেব্রুয়ারি, ২০১৪, ১২:১৬:৩৯ দুপুর

Joseph was our maintenance engineer at my previous workplace.He was a very sincere, hardworking and trustworthy; so he was in my notice.

One day, while out at work together, I asked him, “Joseph, do you give to charity?”

“Yes sir, I do,” said Joseph.

“How do you do that?” I asked.

He said “I give Tithe every month”.

I have read in the Bible about Tithe; “Set aside a Tithe – a tenth of all that your field produces each year” (Deuteronomy 14:22), but I had doubted whether the people of the earlier scriptures actually follow it. So I became interested and asked “Could you please explain that Joseph?”

He replied “I get a salary of DH 13000 a month. A tenth of that - DH 1300, goes to my needy relatives and poor every month.”

The Quran says, “...… Eat of their fruit when they ripen, but pay the due thereof on the day of its harvest…..” (An ‘am - 6:141).

Joseph considers his monthly salary as his harvest; he gives the poor due on the day of his pay cheque - as is said in the verse quoted above.

The Quran also says, “...… We have given a law and a way of life to each of you. Had God wanted, He could have made you into one nation, but He wanted to see who are the more pious ones among you. Compete with each other in righteousness. All of you will return to God who will tell you the truth in the matter of your differences....” (5:48).

I wondered, in a race with Joseph where do I stand.

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In all monotheistic religions charity is demanded as an obligatory duty with very high importance and caution; stern consequences awaits those who fail to comply with .

In Judaism obligatory charity is called 'Tzedakah', which sounds similar to Sadakah or Zakah in Islam - might have similar root or origin to Abrahamic Sharia. While 'Tzedakah' is the Hebrew word for 'charity' in English - giving aid, assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes, it actually means an act of justice and righteousness; the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due. According to Jewish sages, those who do not perform Tzedakah are considered idol worshipers.

Bible is quite harsh to those who do not oblige to ‘Tithe’ and it is considered tantamount to robbing God:

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In Tithes and offerings…” (Malachi 3:8-10).

In this world of poverty and human sufferings, personal charity seems much like a mere drop in the ocean. Hence, in Islam personal charity is considered not enough. Who does not invite others to charity is considered a denier of religion.

“Have you seen him who calls the religion a lie? That is the one who treats the orphan with harshness. And does not urge others to feed the poor” (Al Quran; Al-Maun-107:1-3).

And the Bible says - The religion acceptable to God; that looks after orphan and widow in their distress...... (James 1:27)

Islam calls for collective action for greater causes.

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Here are some more verses in the Bible and Quran on charity - food for thought for the believers:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1- KJV)

“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing” (1Corinthians13:2)

“And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD” (Leviticus 27:30).

“And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD” (Leviticus 27:32).

“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13)

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“And know that whatever thing you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Apostle and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, if you believe in Allah and in that which We revealed to Our servant…” (Anfal - 8:41-Translation: Shakir).

“And it is He Who produces gardens trellised and untrellised, and date-palms, and crops of different shape and taste and olives, and pomegranates, similar and different. Eat of their fruit when they ripen, but pay the due thereof on the day of its harvest, and waste not by extravagance. Verily, He likes not those who waste by extravagance” (An ‘am - 6:141).

“…They also ask you what to give to charity: say, “The excess”. GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you that you may reflect” (Baqarah -2:219}.

“By no means shall you attain righteousness, unless you spend (in Allah's Cause) of that which you love; and whatever of good you spend, Allah knows it well” (Al-Imran- 3:92).

“If the debtor is in a difficulty, grant him time till it is easy for him to repay. But if ye remit it by way of charity, that is best for you if ye only knew.” (Baqarah - 2:280 )

“Kind words and the covering of faults are better than charity followed by injury. Allah is free of all wants and He is Most-Forbearing.”( Baqarah - 2:263)

“And spend (in charity) of that with which We have provided you, before death comes to one of you and he says: "My Lord! If only you would give me respite for a little while then I should give Sadaqah of my wealth, and be among the righteous”” (Munafiqun - 63:10).

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Obligatory amount in charity:

In Judaism and Christianity the obligatory charity is Tithe or ten percent:

“Set aside a Tithe – a tenth of all that your field produces each year” (Deuteronomy 14:22) - on all types of gains.

Comparatively, the Muslim world, though active in voluntary charity – various schools of thought differ in opinion on the amount of obligatory charity.

Mostly, the Muslim world follow the ten percent charity only on agricultural products if artificial irrigation is not required, otherwise it is five percent. On other incomes or gains, the obligatory charity varies from 2.5 % to 22.5%.

There is only one place in the Quran that specifies the amount of charity to be given:

“And know that whatever thing you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Apostle and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, if you believe in Allah and in that which We revealed to Our servant…” (Anfal - 8:41-Translation: Shakir).

In Jafary School of thought the verse 8:41 is taken literally. They consider the ruling of this verse implies to all types of gain or profit, not limited to war booty only, as the world ‘ganimah’ literally means.

According to Jafary school of thought obligatory charity is not limited to 2.5% of net annual savings as zakat, but also an additional 20% as Khums or general charity.

God says in the Quran,

“…We have made some of you as a trial for others: will ye have patience? For Allah is One Who sees (all things)” (25:20).

Surely God tests the riches in many ways- He tests the riches by the poor .

While the earth produces enough food to feed each of her inhabitants, ironically out of 7 billion people in the world, more than one billion people are hungry; over 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 a day. In Bangladesh, the population living below the national poverty line - $1.25 a day, is around 40%.

It is always difficult for human to overcome greed and rise above selfishness; Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) is reported to have said:

“If the son of Adam were to possess two valleys of riches, he would long for the third one…..”(Sahih Muslim Book 5, Number 2282).

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh)) has further said:

“The heart of an old person feels young for the love of two things: love for long life and wealth” (Sahih Bukhari: Book 5, Number 2277).

So, when it comes to giving out to poor, who are in dire necessity to fulfill their basic requirements, men always run short of wealth - even if he has two valleys of gold. Hence to assist mankind to pass the test of life - so that greed can be overridden, God has determined for us a minimum obligatory charitable amount believers are to sacrifice.

Muslims were not affluent in earlier times; but it was their spontaneous response to the call of obligatory charity that removed poverty from their society entirely.

Caliph Omar, being aware of his responsibility, used to go out in the night regularly to discover if any of his people were in poverty or in misery. He said, “even if a dog goes hungry in my Khilafa, on the Day of Judgment, Omar has to answer to God”.

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Mohammad Rezaul Haque

Toronto , Canada

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