GENERAL INJUNCTIONS ABOUT "INFAQ FI SABILILLAH"

GENERAL INJUNCTIONS

ABOUT "INFAQ FI SABILILLAH"

(SPENDING IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH)

Two kinds of directives-------General and Special

Brethren-in-Islam!

Allah has formulated a rule of His Shari'ah that firstly a general directive is given in regard to good and bad deeds so that people may in general take up the path of piety. Then a special form of piety is laid down in order that it is specially adhered to.

General injunction for remembering Allah

As an example you may note that remembering Allah is an act of piety, in fact the greatest piety, and the fountainhead of all good deeds. For this there is a general injunction that remember Allah every moment and in every condition and never be heedless of Him.

"Remember Allah, standing, sitting and reclining." (Al-Qur'an 4 : 103)

"And remember Allah more, that you may be successful."

Undoubtedly in the creation of heavens and the earth and in the alternate appearance of night and day are numerous tokens (of His sovereignty) for those who are men of understanding and considering Allah, standing, sitting and reclining, and considering the creation of the heavens and the earth, instinctively say:

Our Lord Thou created not this in vain." (AI- Qur'an 3 : 190-191)

"And obey not him whose heart We made heedless of Our remembrance, who follows his own lust and whose all works have gone beyond limit."

(A1Qur'an 18 : 29)

There arc many other verses besides these in which it has been enjoined to keep up remembering Allah always and in every condition because it is the very remembrance of Allah which keeps the affairs of man in proper shape and sustains him on the right path. Whenever he becomes heedless of His remembrance, corporeal urges and instigation's of evil forces overpower him. Its inevitable consequence is that straying from the right path he will go beyond limits in the affairs of his life.

Special injunction for Remembrance of Allah

It should be noted that the above is a general injunction. Now a special form has been enunciated for remembrance of Allah. There is Salah, and here too in the five-time daily offering of it a few Rak'ats have been made obligatory which do not take more than five to ten minutes. Thus making Allah's remembrance obligatory for a few minutes at one time and for a few minutes at another time does not mean that you should remember Allah only at these fixed periods and forget Him for the rest of the time. On the other hand it means that at least for this much period you ought to be exclusively engaged in the remembrance of Allah. After that, while you keep yourself busy in your work, in the midst of it you should Continue remembering Allah.

General injunction of 'Infaq-Fi-Sabilillah'

Similar is the case of Zakat. Here also there is a general injunction and then a special one. On one side it is enjoined: "Refrain from miserliness and narrow-mindedness as it is root of evils and mother of vices. Develop in your manners the color of Allah Who is all the time bountifully showering His beneficence on His innumerable and limitless creations although no one has any right and claim over Him. Spend whatever you can in the way of Allah. Save as much as you can from your requirements and from the savings fulfill the wants of other needy slaves of Allah. Never flinch from sacrificing life and money to sublimate the Word of Allah and to render service to religion. If you love Allah, then sacrifice your love of wealth for the love of Him."------And this pertains to the general injunction.

Special injunction for 'Infaq'

On the other side, there is the special injunction that if you possess so much amount of money then it is incumbent on you to spend at least this much part of it in the cause of Allah, and when so much is the produce of your land, then at least this much portion of it must be offered to God by you. Then just as the fact of a few Rak'ats or Salah having been made obligatory does not mean that God should be remembered only while offering these Rak'ats and be forgotten for the rest of the time, in the same way the fact of a small quantity of money having been fixed to be spent in the cause of Allah also does not mean that only those who possess so much of money should spend in the way of Allah while those who have less money than this should close tightly their hands. Nor does it mean that the rich people should spend in the way of Allah while those who have less money than this should close tightly their hands. Nor does it mean that the rich people should spend in the way of Allah that much Zakat only, which has been made obligatory and after that drive away a needy fellow if he approaches them, or if an occasion arises to render service to religion you should say : "We have already given Zakat. Now don't expect a pie from us." This is certainly not what is meant from making Zakat obligatory. On the other hand, it actually means that at least this much money has to be given in any case in the way of Allah by every well-to-do person and that beyond it whatever is possible for any man should be spent by him in His cause.