BRIEF EXPLANATION OF GENERAL INJUNCTION ABOUT 'INFAQ'

Presently I shall first briefly explain to you the general injunction, and shall then take up the special injunction in my next discourse.

It is a characteristic feature of the Holy Qur'an that 'when it gives an injunction, it also states the wisdom and exigency behind it so that, along with the injunction, those concerned may also know why the real significance of it as well as its benefit. As you open the Qur'an the first verse you come across is this:

1.      Three conditions for pursuing the right path

"This Qur'an is the Book of Allah hereof there is no doubt It shows the right path of life to those pious people who believe in the unseen, establish Salah and spend of that we have bestowed upon them." (Al-Qur'an 2:2-3)

In this verse the basic principle has been set out that in order to pursue the right path in the life of this world three essential conditions are necessary:

First, Faith in the unseen.

Second, Establishing Salah.

Third, spending of that in the way of Allah which He given you. At another place of Allah says:

1 Faith is the unseen Realities which include belief in Allah, in the Hereafter, Whay (revelation) and such other things.

"You cannot at all attain unto piety until you spend in the war of Allah of that which you love." (Al-Qur'an 3: 92)

Again He says:

"The devil intimidates you that by spending you will become a pauper. He enjoins on you a shameless thing like miserliness." (Al-Qur'an 2: 268)

After this He says

"Spend your wealth for the cause of Allah and he not cast by your own hands to ruin" (because not spending in the way of Allah means ruin and destruction)." (Al-Qur'an 2: 195)

In the end He says:

"And hose is saved from his own avarice---such are successful." (Al-Qur'an 59: 9)

2.      Tow way of life

It is clear from the above verses that there are two ways for man to lead his life in the world. One is the way of God wherein there is piety, goodness, well-being and success. Here the norm is that man's heart should be liberal, he should fulfil his own needs from whatever, little or much, God has given him, and also helps his brethren from it while spending a portion of it for sublimating the Word of Allah. The other is the way of the devil which is apparently full of benefits but is in reality leads to ruin and perdition. Here the principle is that man should try to amass wealth, should shed his life even for a pie and should keep the money tightly in his possession so that it is not spent at all, and even spent, it must be used for his personal benefits satisfying his corporeal urges.