In this article we will continue our discussion regarding The Treatise of Rights by Imam Zayn Al-Abidin (AS). We will discuss the Right of Charity. Regarding this, the Imam (AS) has said:

And the right of charity is that you should know that it is a storing away with your Lord and a deposit for which you will have no need for witnesses. Then once you know this you will be more confident of it if you donate it in secret than if you donate it in public. It is more appropriate for you to do privately what you now do in public and keep the affairs between you and Him secret under all circumstances. And you should also not take your hearing and sight as witnesses for the donations that you make in charity as if you have the most trust in yourself.

It should not be as if you are not sure that your donations will be returned to you. Finally you should not remind others of your favors since you have done so for yourself. If you remind them of your favors, you will not be immune from being similarly reminded of others’ favors to you. Moreover this will prove that your intentions were not pure. If you had pure intentions you would not remind anyone of it. And there is no power but in God.

Imam Al-Sajad here stresses on a topic so worldwide and diverse that every religion and every nation believes in it, which is charity.

Imam Sajjad has stressed three important points here.

1) Charity is a form of savings. Therefore, it will not get lost. It might seem to us that we lose what we give away in charity while it is not so. Rather the Qur’an encourages us to benefit from the wealth of this world as we see in the following verse:

Nor forget thy portion in this world…” [The Holy Qur’an, al-Qasas 28:77]

Here the Imam is elaborating on the fact that giving is gaining rather than losing anything. Giving charity has never made anyone poor but rather it adds a sense of happiness and satisfaction in life like no other.

Even recent studies have shed a major light on how giving charity affects our mental status and overall well-being. The US health website states:

“Numerous studies have attempted to capture the benefits of giving, and they’ve consistently shown that giving makes people feel good. Whether it's volunteering or donating cash, selfless action can help lessen the risk and symptoms of depression and day-to-day stress.

Charitable donations trigger the mesolimbic system in much the same way. Even thinking about giving money to a meaningful cause engages this evolutionary reward system, according to research led by Jorge Moll of the D’Or Institute for Research and Education in Brazil.

When giving selflessly, “people say their friendships are deeper, they’re sleeping better and they’re able to handle life’s obstacles better,” Post says. “On a scale of 1 to 10 – and 10's a really powerful drug like insulin in the treatment of diabetes – this stuff is probably up there around a 7 or 8. And the amazing thing is, you don’t need to go to a drugstore for it."

The second point the Imam emphasizes on is that Giving charity in private is better than in public. That may be because there is a possibility of hypocrisy and showing off in acts of charity done in public. In addition to this, the one who is receiving charity will also be belittled when charity is given in public.

And lastly the third point is that Charity should not be mixed with mentioning it since that will diminish its effect. What is donated in charity will reach God first. Even more important is the fact that when charity is given in private it helps in the development of the understanding that God is the real donator in the mind of the one who is donating something. He realizes that he is only an intermediate agent in this affair and understands the real meaning of being a servant of God.

When giving money to the poor in public or in front of others, this will most likely negatively impact the less fortunate individual, and make them feel humiliated or undermined, which is something the Imam wants us to avoid.

In the Holy Quran it says:

“Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and then do not follow up what they have spent with reminders [of it] or [other] injury will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.”

Allah (SWT) then says:

“Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is Free of need and Forbearing.”

It also says in the Holy Quran:

“O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like that of a [large] smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable [to keep] anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.”

Consider a hard rock covered by a thin layer of dirt. If seeds are planted in the dirt, there is plenty of good weather and sunshine, and then there is a heavy rainfall, the seeds will be washed off along with the dirt. The rock is so hard that the seed cannot grow on it and the barren hard appearance of the rock will appear again.

This does not happen because the sunshine, the good climate or the rains have had a bad effect. Rather it is because the place was not suitable for growth. It has had a good appearance, but it has been solid hardness beneath.

There has been only a small layer of dirt on the surface while a deep layer of soft soil is needed for the roots to be able to grow and extract nutrients to ensure proper growth. The Qur’an draws a similitude between hypocritical acts of charity that are at times even accompanied by hurting and mentioning; and a shallow layer of dirt on a barren hard rock. This act cannot bear any fruits. It will only result in the efforts being wasted. That is why Imam Sajjad said: “Finally you should not remind others of your favors since you have done so for yourself.”

In Islam, every Muslim is obliged to give to charity in whatever form to boost his piety and spread wealth and goodwill among the whole community. Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: "By no means shall you attain to righteousness until you spend (benevolently) out of what you love; and whatever thing you spend, Allah surely knows it."

What Imam Sajjad expressed about charity is supported by many verses of the Holy Qur’an some of which we will discuss here. We should make it clear that charity implies what one donates from his own property in order to get closer to Allah (SWT). It is a general term and covers both the obligatory alms tax and the recommendable forms of giving donations. God the Almighty said:

“The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of God is that of a grain of corn: it groweth seven ears, and each ear hath a hundred grains. God giveth manifold increase to whom He pleaseth: And God careth for all and He knoweth all things.” [The Holy Qur’an, al-Baqarah 2:261]

This parable of how a grain of corn grows and yields a manifold increase shows how one’s charity is returned to God. The Qur’an says that each person’s actions are a reflection of his personality. It is not true that our actions are manifestations of our physical powers. In this parable, the one who gives charity is said to be similar to one who plants corn. The result of his act is a manifold increase. Things done in the way of God imply acts done for pleasing God alone.

Over the course of decades the major gap between various social classes has caused many numerous major issues. Regardless of all the technological advances in our society today this matter still seems to be worsening rather than improving.  There are some people who are extremely rich and many others who are extremely poor today. It is clear that a society in which most of the people are hungry and poor, and some are very wealthy cannot last very long. Undoubtedly there will be stress, animosities or even fights in such a society.

A careful examination of the verses of the Qur’an on this issue clearly indicates that Islam aims to eliminate unjust social differences between the rich and the poor. It aims to establish certain means by which the standard of living of the poor people can be elevated to a point at which they can at least benefit from minimum living necessities. To achieve this goal Islam has absolutely forbidden usury. It has also established certain obligatory taxes such as the alms-tax and the one-fifth levy. It has also encouraged many voluntary forms of charity to help achieve this goal.

Regarding charity Imam Al Kazim has said:

“By giving charity seek the descension of your daily bread.”

Imam Ridha quoted on the authority of his father on the authority of the Noble Prophet :

“The best of a person’s wealth and savings is what he gives in charity.”

There is a very beautiful saying to Imam Ali (AS) that says: “Generosity is to help a deserving person without his request, and if you help him after his request, then it is either out of self-respect or to avoid rebuke.”

This is such a beautiful way to look at things. It is a beautiful and comprehensive explanation of charity that it is not when someone asks you but you should help them before they even ask. There are many deserving people who do not ask for charity because of various reasons but most commonly out of self-respect which is why Imam Ali (AS) has said that we should help them before they even have to ask.

Many people don’t give charity or don’t donate because they believe it’s too little or unimportant but in reality even the smallest form of charity has a tremendous impact on the receiver as well as the giver. Regarding this matter Imam Ali (AS) has said: “Do not feel ashamed if the amount of charity is small because to refuse the needy is an act of greater shame.”

Through this saying, he has explained us that we should not refuse anyone only because we have a little to give. In such situation we may refuse to help the needy because of shame that we have so little to offer but he has told us that refusing because of the reason is even greater shame.