The Importance of Spending in the way of God

This world, with its beauty and luxuries, engages us too much. In today’s time, as the world is moving fast, we at times forget about the things we should do for our betterment in this world and hereafter.

Everyone today is earning money by different means, so they can survive and fulfil their needs. As Muslims, we do offer zakat as we know that it is one of the main pillars in Islam but we should also offer infaq. Infaq means to spend one’s wealth in the cause of Allah and is believed to be the most effective cure for excessive love of the world and all that’s in it.

As Prophet (PBUH) said,

There is something due on property apart from zakat.”

[Tirmidhi]

Any money beyond a person’s needs and requirements should be spent on any cause of Allah. It makes things easy and opens the paths of goodness. As Allah tells us in Quran:

So he who gives in charity and fears Allah and in all sincerity testifies to the best, we will indeed make smooth for him thee path to Bliss”.

[92:5-10]

There are many blessings and advantages of infaq. Human’s desire to accumulate wealth is usually for the future, but as Muslims, we know that this world is limited and our actual and real future is the hereafter. One will benefit from his wealth only if he gives a part of it to Allah for safekeeping instead of depositing it in the world banks. The Prophet (PBUH) have exclaimed this fact through different hadiths;

Sadqah appeases the Lord’s anger and averts an evil death”.

[Tirmidhi]

Do not shut your money bag; otherwise, Allah, too, will withhold His blessings from you. Spend in Allah’s cause as much as you can afford

What you spend in Allah’s way is the actual money that you have saved. Infaq is also a source of barakah in blessings and abundance which may be in any form.

In the Quran, Allah says,

The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn; it grows seven ears and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifolds increase to whom He pleases; and Allah cares for all and He knows all things”.

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[2:261]

Angels also supplicate for the person who does infaq, Prophet (PBUH) said,

Every day two angels come down and one of them says, ‘O Allah! Compensate everyone who spends in your cause’ and the other says ‘ O Allah! Destroy every misery.”

[Bukhari]

Infaq is like nourishment for religious beliefs and righteous deeds, it plays an important role in strengthening a person’s faith. The key to the treasures of wisdom is infaq itself. Islam is a religion that likes things to be done moderately to create ease for the people. We should spend in Allah’s cause as much as we can, not so much that we become needy ourselves. As the Quran says,

Make not your hands tied like a niggards to your neck nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach so that you become blameworthy and destitute”.

[17:29]

There are some factors to remember while offering infaq. Sometimes willingly or not, people give away sub-standards and useless things, but infaq should not be treated as a cumbersome duty. Remember that Allah is not in need of our possessions. These are merely His tests to see what attitude we adopt when giving back what belongs to Allah.

Prophet (PBUH) said,

Allah accepts only what is lawful.”

[Bukhari]

The gist of this hadith is that a person hung a cluster of dates of bad quality in the mosque of the Prophet so the poor could eat from them. For his action, the Prophet said that he could have done better and he would eat inferior qualities of dates in the hereafter. The true spirit of infaq is ikhlas which is the purity of intention. Infaq should be done with pure intentions and not for any worldly gain or showing off. Spending in Allah’s cause helps you deal with stinginess and fight your own nafs.

From studying the lives of the companions of the Prophet, we learn that despite some of them being poor, they considered giving charity a part of whatever little they received. We should realize that we need very little to live on, yet we are obsessed with worldly gains. We must understand the meaning of real and lasting comforts, pleasure and prestige. May Allah bestow upon us the ability to spend willingly in His cause.

Ameen.