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Charity
is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam. In the Holy Quran the mention of
Prayer and charity has occurred together in approximately thirty-two occasions.
Prayer
is physical worship and charity is monetary worship. Through Prayer, a
relationship is formed between the Creator and the created, the devotee of
Allah and Allah, and stays firm. And through charity, a relationship is formed
between Allah's servants, a relationship of sympathy and brotherhood, and stays
firm.
Charity
has many benefits. When a person gives to charity his heart is protected from
the spiritual disease of desire for material wealth and the one who receives
charity has his needs fulfilled and he prays from his heart for the one who
gave charity. Giving charity also gives rise to the emotions of sympathy. The
goods and material wealth upon which one gives charity remain protected. On the
other hand, the goods upon which charity was due and was not given are destroyed
or taken away. Charity is compulsory only
on lawful goods.
If a
full year is spent with fifty-two and a half tolah (A tolah is the weight
approximately equivalent to 11.665gm) or 612.413gm of silver or seven and a
half tolah (87.488gm) of gold or trade goods and money earned through property
business, then to give two and a half percent of it to the ones deserving it in
the name of Allah is called charity (zakāt).
The
charity due on seven and a half tolah of gold is two masha, two and a half
ratti (A masha is the weight equivalent to 0.972gm and a ratti is equivalent to
0.122gm) or 2.248gm. The charity due on fifty- seven and a half tolah of silver
is one tolah, four masha and two ratti or 15.796gm.
There is
more virtue in giving charity to entitled relatives. Orphans, the poor and
needy and neighbours are also entitled. It is lawful to give charity to
brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, stepmother, stepfather, step
grandfather, step grandmother, mother and father in law, as long as they are
entitled to it.
It is
not permissible to give charity to a mother, father, grandfather, grandmother,
son, daughter, wife, husband, grandchildren, and their offspring.
KHWAJA SHAMSUDDIN AZEEMI
Mehrāj means to enter the world of the unseen. When a believer attains Mehrāj through prayer, Angels appear in front of him. He travels through the Heavens, and through the blessings of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) he comes to know his Lord.
